Asian Games
Asian Games Athletics: Murali Sreeshankar wins historic silver in men's long jump
This was the first long jump medal for India since the 1978 Asian Games. Sreeshankar ended a 45-wait for the medal but missed the gold. In 1978, Suresh Babu clinched the gold medal for India.
FILE PHOTO: Murali Sreeshankar in action at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Murali Sreeshankar clinched a historic silver medal for India in the men's long jump event at the Asian Games 2023, on Sunday. India last won a medal at the event in the 1978 Asian Games when Suresh Babu won the gold medal with a 7.85 metre effort.
Sreeshankar made a false start before registering a 7.87m jump in the second attempt. His third attempt gave him an 8.01 jump.
Sreeshankar registered his best jump of 8.19m on the fourth attempt and rose to the second position just 0.03m behind the leader from China. The Kerala athlete had a chance to go past gold medallist Wang Jianan's mark of 8.22m. But Sreesankar could leap only 8.00m in his final attempt. Shi Yuhao won the bronze medal with a best effort of 8.10m.
Sreesankar has a personal best of 8.41m which he achieved at the 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships in June this year.
Meanwhile, Indian national record holder Jeswin, who jumped 8.42m in March at the India Open, has had a disappointing day. He finished in the eighth position with a best effort of 7.76 metres. It was not a good start to the day for Jeswin as he just managed a jump of 7.75m on the first attempt and failed to make a legal jump on the second attempt.
On the third attempt, Jeswin managed a 7.76m and maintained his position in the top eight. But in the final attempts, he got 7.22 in the fourth attempt, 6.55m in the sixth, and an invalid jump in the fifth effort.
