Picture Credit: Twitter
Indian track and field athlete Murali Sreeshankar on Saturday became the first Indian male long jumper to qualify for the World Athletics Championships 2022. The long jump national record holder, Sreeshankar is also expected to win medals for India at the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Alongside M. Sreeshankar, long jumpers Jeswin Aldrin, and Muhammed Anees Yahiya have also qualified for the CWG 2022 in Birmingham.
The 23-year-old Sreeshankar has been a consistent performer with his national record of 8.36 metres jump at the Federation Cup in April 2022, followed by 8.31 metres at an event in Greece and 8.26 metres Tokyo 2020 qualification at the Federation Cup in Patiala in March 2021. Subsequent to his 2020 summer Olympics qualification, he became the 4th athlete since 1972 in the long jump from Kerala to qualify for the Olympics.
After being diagnosed with appendicitis, Murali Sreeshankar, who was supposed to make his international debut at the CWG 2018, withdrew 10 days prior to the start of the event. Sreeshankar later won the Gold medal at the 2018 Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships in Patiala by achieving his personal best of 7.99 metres.
Later in 2018, he broke the national record by jumping 8.20m at the National Open Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha and claimed the gold medal.
Here's all you need to know about the athlete:
Name: Murali Sreeshankar
Age: 23
Date of Birth: March 27, 1999
Hails From: Palakkad, Kerala
Teams: Indian Athletics
Role: Men's Long Jump
Achievement: Holds the national record of 8.36 metres set in 2022
Won Bronze medal at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in 2018 in Japan.
Won Gold medal at the 2018 Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships.
Broke the national record by jumping 8.20m at the National Open Athletics Championships in 2018.
Won Gold at the National Open Athletics Championships in 2018.