India’s prime lengthy jumper Murali Sreeshankar has been having an excellent run in three International meets since returning in July 2025 from the knee harm suffered throughout coaching in April final 12 months and the following surgical procedure in Qatar.
The 26-year-old gained gold in three meets – Portugal, Kazakhstan and Bhubaneswar. His finest has been an 8.13m within the World Tour Continental bronze occasion in Bhubaneswar (August 10), after leaping to 7.75m in Portugal and seven.94m in Kazakhstan.
With the qualifying mark for the Worlds (September 13 to 21 in Tokyo) set at 8.27m, the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist, feels he can pull it off and that he shall be beneath no strain when he competes within the National Inter-State meet, commencing on the Nehru Stadium right here on August 20. The Inter-State is the ultimate choice trials for the Worlds.
“I am trying to chase the qualification mark in a month, something which should have happened in a span of one year. So, I am squeezing in a one-year process into one month,” Sreeshankar instructed The Hindu on Tuesday.
“But I want to get that qualification mark and then go for the World Championships. I have hit the qualification mark and then gone for every Worlds (2019 in Doha & 2023 in Budapest), rather than based on World rankings.”
Sreeshankar stated he has ready properly and that his knee is responding properly. “My body is good. Preparation, too, has been excellent. My knee is responding quite well to the training. I am expecting some good results when the finals of the men’s long jump begins on Aug. 24 (Sunday). There is no pressure. So, when preparation meets opportunity, big jumps will come,” he stated.
