Jeswin Aldrin, the world leader in long jump, included in AIU testing pool

Aldrin set the world-leading mark of 8.42m, a National Record, at the National Jumps Competition at Bellary last March.

FILE PHOTO: Jeswin Aldrin after winning the silver medal at the Indoor Asians in Kazakhstan. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, the world leader this season, is the latest Indian athlete who has been included in the registered testing pool (RTP) of World Athletics (WA) by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

Aldrin set the world-leading mark of 8.42m, also National Record, at the National Jumps Competition at Bellary last March. The 21-year-old athlete broke the previous record of 8.36m by Murali Sreeshankar achieved at the Federation Cup in Kozhikode last year.

Aldrin will compete in the long jump final of the National Inter-State Championships on Monday in Bhubaneswar after he qualified for the event, finishing second behind Sreeshankar, who produced a remarkable 8.41m jump, with a leap of 7.83m.

The Tamil Nadu athlete is the second Indian jumper to be included in the RTP after Sreeshankar, who achieved the season’s second-best mark at the Inter-State to qualify for World Athletics Championships and Asian Games.

So far this season, five other Indians have been in the AIU RTP: Neeraj Chopra and Annu Rani (javelin throw), Avinash Sable (steeplechase), Abdulla Aboobacker (triple jump) and M. Sreeshankar (long jump).

According to the RTP policy, athletes need to submit their “whereabouts” every quarter. The information should include residential addresses, training venues, competition venues, and travel plans among others. They are also required to specify a location of choice for testing where they would be available for one hour daily.

Any failure to be present at the specified location on a day will attract a “missed test” mark. Three missed tests in a 12-month period may attract a two-year suspension. Athletes can inform change of location at short notice through mobile and e-mail. They have to file whereabouts each quarter.

Apart from the AIU RTP, Indian athletes are bound to follow the same procedure, with National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) having its own RTP.