Sopot Grand Prix: Sreeshankar wins gold with 7.78m jump

National record holder M. Sreeshankar was not anywhere close to his best but still won the men’s long jump gold comfortably in the Sopot Grand Prix athletics at Sopot, Poland on Sunday evening.

Sreeshankar topped the event with a second-round effort of 7.78m. Norway’s Henrik Flaetnes was second with 7.65. “He has had three competitions in about 10 days, he was feeling a bit weak. It was cold too,” S. Murali, Sreeshankar’s dad and coach, told Sportstar from Sopot.

Meanwhile Shivpal Singh had a disappointing day, finishing fifth in the men’s javelin with 76.90m while his teammate Rajinder Singh was sixth with 73.06. The host’s Marcin Krukowski won the gold with 82.33m.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s World champion Mutaz Essa Barshim won the high jump gold with 2.27m.

The results:

Men’s long jump: 1. M. Sreeshankar (Ind) 7.78m, 2, Henrik Flaetnes (Nor) 7.65, 3. Abraham Seaneke (Cha) 7.52).

Men’s javelin throw: 1. Marcin Krukowski (Pol) 82.33m, 2. Pavel Maleshka (Bel) 80.46, 5. Shivpal Singh (Ind) 76.90, 6. Rajinder Singh (Ind) 73.06.