NewKerala.com

Key Points

Murali Sreeshankar's comeback from injury ended early at the World Athletics Championships. His best jump of 7.78m fell well short of the 8.15m qualification standard. India's women steeplechasers also struggled with Parul Chaudhary finishing 20th overall. The disappointing day highlighted India's ongoing challenges in world athletics competition.

Key Points: Murali Sreeshankar Fails to Reach World Athletics Long Jump Final

  • Sreeshankar placed 25th overall with best jump of 7.78m
  • Parul Chaudhary finished 20th in women's steeplechase heats
  • Ankita Dhyani placed last in her steeplechase heat
  • Tejas Shirse missed 110m hurdles semifinals finishing 29th
2 min read

World Athletics C'ships: Murali Shreesankar fails to reach long jump final; poor day for women's 3000 steeplechase athletes

India's Murali Sreeshankar exits World Athletics Championships long jump qualification with 7.78m, while women's steeplechase athletes also have a disappointing day in Tokyo.

"His returns were not sufficient to help him meet the qualification criteria of 8.15 m jump - Olympics.com"

Tokyo, September 15

Asian Games silver medalist Murali Sreeshankar bowed out of the men's long jump event in the qualification round itself during the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Monday.

The 26-year-old's best effort of 7.78m, with other legal attempts of 7.70 m and 7.59 m, earned him a 14th place in Group A of athletes and overall 25th amongst 36 players. His returns were not sufficient to help him meet the qualification criteria of 8.15 m jump or finish in the top 12 needed to reach the medal round, as per Olympics.com.

Sreeshankar had made a return from a long injury layoff after a knee injury that ruled him out of the Paris 2024 Olympics. He entered the World Championships with five wins in five events and a season-best of 8.13 m at the Indian Open in Bhubaneswar last month. His personal best is 8.41 m, just short of Jeswin Aldrin's national record of 8.42 m.

At the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, Sreeshankar made it to the final and secured a seventh-place finish with a leap of 7.96m.

It was a poor day at work for India's women's 3000 m steeplechasers, with Parul Chaudhary, the national record holder with 9:12.46s, clocking 9:22.24s to finish ninth in her heat and gaining a 20th-place finish overall. Parul had made it to the final two years back in the Budapest edition of the championships.

Ankita Dhyani was 11th in her heat with a time of 10:03.22s and 35th overall, securing the last spot in the field. They both needed a top-five in their respective heats to reach the medal round, but fell way short.

Tejas Shirse, in men's 110 m hurdles, clocked 13.57 seconds and finished sixth in his heat. He is the national record holder with 13.41 seconds. Tejas finished in 29th spot in a field of 42 athletes, missing out on the semifinals.

India has secured only three medals in the World Athletics Championships in their history so far. Anju Bobby George won long jump bronze at Paris 2003, while Neeraj Chopra claimed javelin silver at Oregon 2022 and clinched a historic, first-time ever gold at Budapest in 2023 to solidify his legacy as one of India's greatest athletes ever.

India's Tokyo 2025 contingent includes 19 members, including 14 men and five women, competing across 15 events.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The women's steeplechase performance was concerning. Parul Chaudhary finished 20th overall when she was a finalist last time. Our athletes need better preparation and exposure to international competitions.
A
Aman W
Tough day for Indian athletics 😔 Sreeshankar's 8.13m season best showed promise, but championship pressure is different. We need sports psychologists working with our athletes.
S
Sarah B
Coming back from knee injury is never easy. Sreeshankar will bounce back! His personal best of 8.41m shows what he's capable of. Let's support our athletes during tough times 🙏
V
Vikram M
Only 3 medals in World Championships history shows how far we have to go in athletics. Cricket gets all the attention and funding. Other sports need equal support from government and corporates.
N
Nikhil C
Tejas Shirse also underperformed - 13.57s when his NR is 13.41s. Our athletes seem to struggle with consistency at big events. Maybe more international competitions before championships would help.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50