Jeswin Aldrin qualifies for long jump World Championships at National Games

Jeswin crossed the qualification mark of 8.22m with an effort of 8.26m at the National Games in Gujarat on Saturday.

Jeswin Aldrin Johnson competes in the Men’s Long Jump qualification on day one of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field | Photo Credit: AFP

Long jumper Jeswin Aldrin qualified for the 2023 World Championships with his gold medal-winning 8.26m leap at the National Games on Saturday.

The qualification standard for the World Championships, which will be held in Hungary, stands at 8.22m.

Jeswin was the first athlete to make the cut for the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, USA, however, he was made to give multiple trials days before he boarded his flight.

Earlier this year, the AFI initially justified its decision to exclude Aldrin from the World Championships, citing the fact that his performance had slipped since the Federation Cup, where he made a wind-assisted jump of 8.37m. AFI president Adille Sumariwalla had noted that Aldrin had jumped only 7.51m at the Inter-State Championships in June 2022.

However, the athlete has been in form leading up to the National Games. He had recently won gold at the Golden Fly Series in Liechtenstein 2022