Finance
India’s Murali Sreeshankar delivered another spectacular Commonwealth Games performance, winning the silver medal in the men’s long jump with a best effort of 8.09m in a high-quality final on Wednesday night.
Sreeshankar, who is coached by his father S. Murali and hails from Pallakad in Kerala, improved his leap to 8.09m in the second round after beginning with 8.03m. Despite two foul attempts later in the tournament, the Indian athlete remained in medal contention and finished second. He finished the campaign with 7.94m and 7.97m in his final two jumps.
Sreeshankar, 27, won a silver medal in the Birmingham edition in 2022 with an 8.08-meter jump, becoming India’s first male long jumper to win a silver medal in the Games.
The medal brought India’s total to 13, including two gold, eight silver, and three bronze medals. In athletics and para-athletics, India has won five medals: one gold, three silver, and one bronze.
Tajay Gayle, Jamaica’s 2019 World Champion, won the gold medal with an 8.15m leap, while Scotland’s Stephen Mackenzie took bronze with 8.08m, finishing only one centimetre behind Sreeshankar in a dramatic contest.
Lokesh Sathyanathan, another Indian finalist, finished fifth with a best leap of 7.97m, adding to the country’s outstanding performance in the discipline.
The final featured fierce competition, with four athletes breaking the eight-meter mark. Sreeshankar’s 8.09m leap was enough to clinch India’s latest athletics medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The silver medal enhances India’s athletics campaign and adds another key accomplishment to Sreeshankar’s excellent international resume, demonstrating his consistency on the big stage.
Source: IANS
