India’s long jumper M Sreeshankar sets new national record in World Indoor Championships

India’s M Sreeshankar set a new national indoor record in the men’s long jump event late Friday night at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Kerala’s 22-year-old athlete recorded a jump of 7.92m in his third attempt to set the new record.

M Sreeshankar ended up finishing seventh in a field of 14 competitors. The Indian Olympian, who participated in the Tokyo Summer Games last year, also holds the outdoor record of 8.26m, set last year during a domestic meet in Patiala.

Greece’s Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou leaped to a distance of 8.55m to add the World Indoor Trophy to his cabinet. The 24-year-old Olympic champion achieved the gold medal-winning feat in his second attempt.

Thobias Montler of Sweden won silver at a distance of 8.38m while Marquis Dendy of the USA took home the bronze with 8.27m.

Except for the Indian jumper, almost all the athletes in the fray weren’t successful in completing all six attempts legally as they struggled to set their run-up. By the end of the first round, there were as many as eight fouls from 14 athletes.

Cuban Olympic bronze medalist Maykel Masso, who had three fouls, was out of contention for the medal race. Japan’s Yuki Hashioka, the other Asian athlete in the field, also failed to record a single legal jump. His three opening attempts were all fouls.

The eventual winner had just three legal jumps out of six attempts. Tentoglou made minor adjustments to his run-up as his first attempt was deemed illegal. But the talented long jumper soared to 8.55m in his second attempt while his fourth jump was 8.26m. In his sixth and last attempt, he recorded 8.51m.

M Sreeshankar's distances

Sreeshankar was the only athlete in the competition whose all six jumps were legal. He started with a modest jump of 7.58m and then, had a series of 7.90m, 7.92m, 7.21m, 7.83m, and 7.84m.

Montler could only record two legal jumps. His first attempt was a foul while the second jump was at 8.13m. His next three attempts were no jumps. But in the last and final jump, he landed at the 8.38m mark to win silver.

Lawson too had three fouls. His third attempt of 8.19m fetched him bronze.

Meanwhile, in another major development at the Championships, Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland won the gold medal in the women’s 60m with a time of 6.96 seconds.