Glasgow [Scotland], July 30: Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar expressed his happiness over winning a second consecutive silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, although he felt a sense of dissatisfaction for not achieving his goal of gold in the men's long jump event at the Glasgow 2026 Games.
The 27-year-old athlete, who previously secured silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, achieved a best jump of 8.09m, finishing behind Jamaica's Tajay Gayle, who clinched gold with a leap of 8.15m. Scotland's Stephen Mackenzie took home the bronze with a jump of 8.08m.
Reflecting on his performance, Sreeshankar stated, "While I am pleased with the silver, I am not fully satisfied as this was not the performance I aimed for. My goal was to achieve a significant jump and win gold for my country, especially after redeeming my silver from Birmingham. Nonetheless, I am grateful to represent my nation at the Commonwealth Games, considering the challenges I faced over the past two years."
Sreeshankar remained competitive throughout the event and entered his final jump needing to exceed Gayle's mark. Unfortunately, his sixth attempt measured 7.97m, falling short by six centimeters.
This silver medal makes Sreeshankar the first Indian male long jumper to win two medals at the Commonwealth Games, adding another milestone to his impressive career.
His recent achievement also signifies a remarkable comeback after he missed the Paris 2024 Olympics due to surgery for a serious patellar tendon injury. He returned to international competition with determination, securing another podium finish at the Commonwealth stage.
Born in Palakkad to former athletes, Sreeshankar was introduced to long jump by his father and coach, S. Murali, a South Asian Games triple jump silver medallist, while his mother, KS Bijimol, excelled as a middle-distance runner.
He has consistently been one of India's top field athletes, boasting a personal best of 8.41m and earning silver medals at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships and the Hangzhou Asian Games, in addition to his Commonwealth Games silver.
India had another competitor in the men's long jump final, with Lokesh finishing fifth in his Commonwealth Games debut, achieving a best jump of 7.97m.
Sreeshankar's silver contributed to India's 13th medal at the Glasgow Games, helping the nation conclude Day 7 with a total of 15 medals—three gold, nine silver, and three bronze.
India's medallists thus far include Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women's shot put F57), Dilip Mahadu Gavit (gold, men's T47 100m), Mohammed Basil Morssinganakth (silver, men's T47 100m), Murali Sreeshankar (silver, men's long jump), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, men's high jump), Gulveer Singh (silver, men's 10,000m), Harjinder Kaur (silver, weightlifting), Valluri Ajaya Babu (silver, weightlifting), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting), Shilpa K. Shyla (bronze, women's shot put F57), and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting).
