Murali Sreesankar
– Photo: Social Media
Expansion
Star long jumper Murali Sreesankar on Sunday qualified for the World Championships with an effort of 8.41m in his very first attempt in the qualifying round of the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. The 24-year-old Sreeshankar, however, missed out on equaling Jesvin Aldrin’s national record of 8.42m by just a centimetre. Aldrin made the national record this year.
This effort by Sreesankar is his personal best performance. Sreeshankar, representing Kerala, said, “The wind was as per the parameter, it was 1.5 meters per second. Missed the national record by a small margin but I am happy that I have achieved this distance.
Aldrin finished second with a throw of 7.83m, while Mohammad Anees Yahia finished third with a throw of 7.71m. Twelve players made it to the finals to be held on Monday. The qualifying standard for the Asian Games in men’s long jump is 7.95 metres. The qualifying standard for the men’s long jump event at the World Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary in August is 8.25m.