India continued its medal rush in the Commonwealth Games 2022. With social media talking about him, Murali Sreeshankar won the silver medal in the long jump event.
Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar clinched a silver in men's event to hand India its second medal in athletics during the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham on Thursday. The 23-year-old national record holder aviated 8.08 metres in his fifth shot to finish second, behind Bahamas' Laquan Nairn in a nerve-wrecking men's final. Nairn also had his finest jump of 8.08 metres, but his second best of 7.98 metres was sounder than the 7.84 metres of Sreeshankar. Under the rules, if a couple of jumpers are tied on the same distance, the one with a more reasonable second-best effort will be ranked ahead.
Congrats Murali sreeshankar !He Won the first ever silver medal🥈 for India in the long jump at pic.twitter.com/zEcN42Fz56
— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath)South Africa's Jovan van Vuuren (8.06 metres) claimed the bronze. The other Indian in the fray, Muhammed Anees Yahiya, finished at fifth with a soundest jump of 7.97 metres. Sreeshankar is now the first Indian male long jumper to win a silver at the CWG, while Suresh Babu won the bronze in 1978.
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Congratulations Murali Sreeshankar for becoming the first ever Indian male to win a silver 🥈in long jump at pic.twitter.com/Der8xgczag
— Jay Shah (@JayShah)Among women, Prajusha Maliakkal won silver in Delhi in 2010, while legendary Anju Bobby George grabbed a bronze in 2002. Sreeshankar went into the CWG as a gold medal favourite on the basis of his season's and personal best of 8.36 metres, putting him in joint second ranking in the world this season.
Picture time folks:
Our boy Murali Sreeshankar on the medal podium after winning Silver medal in Long Jump ❤️ pic.twitter.com/c8jYuKKQs6
But, Sreeshankar struggled to open four jumps while landing on the footboard. He began with 7.64 metres before jumping an identical 7.84 metres in his second and third attempts. His fourth jump happened to be a foul. He was outside the medal contention at the fourth round end, as he was sixth at that stage, while his fifth attempt of 8.08 metres took him to the second.
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M. Sreeshankar's Silver medal at the CWG is a special one. It is after decades that India has won a medal in Men’s long jump at the CWG. His performance augurs well for the future of Indian athletics. Congratulations to him. May he keep excelling in the times to come. pic.twitter.com/q6HO39JHy8
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)In the dramatic final round jump, he appeared to have surpassed the 8 metres mark -- which could have landed him the gold -- but to his and the Indian contingent's dismay, his foot dismounted 2 cm forward of the line on the footboard. The last go was thus ruled as a foul, and Sreeshankar settled for a silver.
Congratulations to Sreeshankar for winning silver in long jump at . Your long leap has brought India’s first ever medal for this event in Commonwealth Games. This pathbreaking achievement will inspire countless Indians, especially the youth.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn)On Wednesday, Tejaswin Shankar won a bronze in the men's high jump to open India's medal account in athletics in this CWG. It was Sreeshankar's foremost medal in a major international competition and a multi-sporting event. Before this, he had won bronze during the 2018 Asian U-20 Championships.
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Congratulations to Murali Sreeshankar and Sudhir for winning silver and gold respectively. Your achievement will surely inspire the youth of our nation!
— Honeypreet Insan (@insan_honey)The medal will relieve him after his disappointing execution during the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA, finishing seventh in the final. He had headed into the World Championships as a medal dark horse, with a season's and personal best of 8.36 metres.
Congratulations to Murali Sreeshankar for winning India a silver at the CWG’22 in Men’s Long Jump. You’ve scripted history by winning us our first ever medal in Men’s Long Jump at the CWG. The whole country is celebrating this victory with great pride. pic.twitter.com/gNsdwxGM1h
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda)(With inputs form PTI)