Long jumper Jeswin Aldrin gets another shot at making World Championships squad

Long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, after being initially omitted from the World Championships squad by the Athletics Federation of India despite him clearing the 8.22m qualification mark, has now been asked to take part in a selection trial.

Jeswin Aldrin at the National Inter-State Athletics Championship 2022 in Chennai

Perhaps realising that it had not been fair to Jeswin Aldrin, who was not cleared on Thursday for this month’s World Championships despite achieving the automatic qualification standard in April, the Athletics Federation of India has now asked the young long jumper to attend a trial at the NIS Patiala on July 4.

“Your performance should be close to 8.10m only then will you be considered for selection for the World Championships (in Oregon, USA, from July 15),” says a letter from the chief national coach Radhakrishnan Nair to Aldrin.

A similar letter has gone to Aishwarya Mishra.

“It will be on the same day, same time. And the target is around the qualifying time (51.35s) set by World Athletics...thereabouts,” Adille Sumariwalla told The Hindu on Friday night.

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While including Aishwarya Mishra, who had clocked a stunning 51.18s at the Federation Cup in Malappuram in early April, the AFI had said on Thursday that the quartermiler would have to attend a trial where National Anti-Doping Agency officials would also be present.

No such trial was offered to Aldrin on Thursday but there is a change of stand today.

Aldrin had jumped 8.26m (also a wind-assisted 8.37m) while winning the Federation Cup gold beating national record holder M. Sreeshankar.

If Aldrin qualifies, for the first time three male Indian long jumpers will be at the Worlds, the others being Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees.