Fit-Again Murali Sreeshankar Aims to Qualify for World Athletics Championships 2025

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India's 25-year-old Hangzhou Asian Games silver medalist in men's long jump, Murali Sreeshankar, is on his comeback trail and has set modest goals for himself. In the weeks leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the jumper from Kerala injured his knee and had to skip the quadrennial games in France.

As part of his comeback, one of his goals is to qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, scheduled to be held in Tokyo from September 13 to 21 in Japan.

"The main focus for the 2025 season will be the World Athletics Championships in Japan," Sreeshankar's father told Mykhel over the phone from Kerala.

The entry standard for men's long jump at the World Athletics Championships is 8.27 meters. Athletes can also qualify through the world ranking system. Murali Sreeshankar hasn't been as successful as expected in global competitions in the recent past. He reached the long jump final at the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships but was not impressive at the 2023 edition of the global meet held in Budapest.

To move forward, Sreeshankar plans to consult a medical expert in Doha who performed his knee surgery before starting his long jump practice in the first week of November.

Sreeshankar stated that he has done extensive rehab and is now physically fit. "I've fully recovered from the injury and am looking ahead to start routine practice for long jump," the long jumper added. "I'm doing weight training and general fitness exercises, but I will start my long jump practice in the first week of November."

Sreeshankar's father, who also serves as his son's coach, mentioned that the training venue will either be Bengaluru or Thiruvananthapuram. Sreeshankar's personal best of 8.41 meters was recorded in 2023 during a domestic meet at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium in Odisha. Later that year, he won silver at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2023. His silver-medal-winning jump in Hangzhou was 8.19 meters.

However, in April this year, he injured his knee and missed the 2024 Paris Olympic Games held from July 26 to August 11 in France. After surgery and rehabilitation, he has set his focus on the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Japan in September.

To achieve the World Athletics qualification standard of 8.27 meters, Sreeshankar will either take the domestic route or compete at the Asian Athletics Championships in May. "We will decide when and where to achieve the qualification mark in the near future," Sreeshankar's father added.

The performance in the 2025 season will also act as a catalyst for the 2026 Asian Games. "The 2025 season will be important to polish jumping skills and prepare a solid foundation for the next Asian Games," the coach-cum-father said.

As Murali Sreeshankar embarks on his journey toward recovery and qualification, his aims to not only secure his place on the global stage but also to lay a strong foundation for the future.