Murali Sreeshankar Qualifies For Paris Olympics With Silver At Asian Athletics Championships

Murali Sreeshankar becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to secure qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

India's Murali Sreeshankar celebrates winning silver in the Men's Long Jump Final at Alexander Stadium on day seven of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. ( Image Source :Getty Images )

Bangkok: Murali Sreeshankar, the talented long jumper, etched his name in history on Saturday by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to secure qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He accomplished this feat by winning a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships, leaping a remarkable distance of 8.37m, which marked his second career-best performance.

Sreeshankar's final jump of 8.37m secured his Olympic qualification, surpassing the Paris Games mark of 8.27m. Yu Tang Lin from Chinese Taipei claimed the gold medal with an impressive fourth-round jump of 8.40m, which ranks as the third-best effort globally this season.

While four 20km race walkers have already qualified for the Paris Olympics, including Akshadeep Singh, Vikas Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht, and Priyanka Goswami, it's important to note that race walking is classified as a road event in the Olympics.

The qualification period for various track and field events for the Paris Olympics differs. For the 10,000m race, combined events like decathlon and heptathlon, race walks, and relays, the period extends from December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024. For the marathon, the qualification period is from November 1, 2022, to April 30, 2024. For all other events, the qualification period spans from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

Best of @SreeshankarM at the #AsianAthleticsChampionships

In a gruelling Men's Long Jump Final, the #TOPSchemeAthlete took on 🇹🇼's Yu Tang Lin & gave a best jump of 8.37m

With this, he won🥈for 🇮🇳 & met the qualification mark for #ParisOlympics2023.

Heartiest congratulations! pic.twitter.com/j44eyj8bEn

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 15, 2023

This will be Sreeshankar's second appearance at the Olympics, having competed in the Tokyo Games. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the qualification round. However, with his recent achievements, including a bronze medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and qualification for the Budapest World Championships with an impressive jump of 8.41m, Sreeshankar has proven his potential on the global stage.

In other notable performances by Indian athletes, the mixed 4x400m relay team comprising Rajesh Ramesh, Aishwarya Mishra, Amoj Jacob, and Subha Venkatesan secured a gold medal with a remarkable time of 3 minutes and 14.70 seconds. Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Swapna Barman also contributed to India's medal tally by earning silver medals in the men's high jump and heptathlon events, respectively.

With a total of 14 medals won so far, including six gold, four silver, and four bronze, India has showcased its prowess in the Asian Athletics Championships.

Sreeshankar was considered the favorite to clinch the gold medal in the long jump event. While he led midway with a jump of 8.12m, his opponent from Chinese Taipei surged ahead in the fourth round with a jump of 8.40m. Despite a valiant effort in his final attempt, Sreeshankar fell short of claiming the top spot.

Additionally, Santhosh Kumar secured a bronze medal in the men's 400m hurdles, setting a personal best time of 49.09 seconds. His exceptional performance places him as the fastest Indian in the event this year. It is noteworthy that no Indian athlete has ever won a gold medal in the men's 400m hurdles at the Asian Championships.

Murali Sreeshankar's achievement in qualifying for the Paris Olympics and the impressive performances by other Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championships demonstrate the nation's growing prominence in track and field. These accomplishments serve as a testament to India's commitment to athletic excellence on the international stage.

(With Inputs From PTI)