Murali Sreeshankar won a track and field silver in men’s long jump with a best of 8.08m at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday night. The only other CWG men’s long jump medallist from India is Suresh Babu (1978). This is also India’s second medal in athletics in Birmingham after Tejaswin Shankar won bronze in the men’s high jump on Wednesday.
Muhammad Anees Yahiya, the other Indian in the men’s long jump, came fifth with a 7.97m jump in his sixth and final attempt.
Sreeshankar (7.84m) and Anees (7.72m) qualified for the final round as they finish sixth and eighth respectively after the first three rounds.
Sreeshankar recorded a big jump on his fourth attempt but overstepped by one cm and was red flagged. But he summoned his best effort on the fifth attempt, recording a massive 8.08m (wind assistance of +1.5) to leapfrog to the second spot. Sreeshankar went for the gold in his final attempt but overstepped by 2cms.
Laquan Nairn of Bahamas got gold with 8.08m. Nairn edged past Shankar, who also jumped 8.08m, because his second-best was 7.98m compared to the Indian’s 7.84m. Jovan van Vuuren of South Africa bagged bronze with a jump of 8.06m.
