Delhi(The Stellar News): Sreeshankar Murali jumped 8.09m to win the men’s long jump at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday. He had won the same medal at the 2022 edition with an effort of 8.08m. After the final jump, which was a foul, Sreeshankar looked disappointed, knowing that he could have won the gold which went to Tajay Gayle of Jamaica with a mark of 8.15m. However, the two silvers four years apart and the improvement of 0.01m have been accompanied by a lot of change for the jumper from Palakkad, Kerala.
Sreeshankar, who also won the 2023 Asian Games silver, ruptured the patellar tendon in his knee, that too in his take-off leg, ruling him out for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Glasgow silver is Sreeshankar’s first major medal after making a comeback a year ago.
“Him competing now and winning a major medal again is a blessing in itself. When he was walking with the help of crutches after surgery, all I wished was that he could walk freely,” Sreeshankar’s father Murali told The Indian Express from Glasgow. Surgeons had warned before the surgery that he might not be able to run again.
“It looked dangerous. When I first broke my knee and had the MRI report in my hand, it looked over for me. I never thought that I would be able to jump 8m again,” Sreeshankar had said before leaving for Glasgow. Following a lengthy rehabilitation, Sreeshankar made his comeback and managed to qualify for the World Championships.
“Last year was a crazy ride for me. I had just five competitions but somehow managed to make it to the Worlds. Competing there was like a dream at that time,” he said.
