World Athletics Championships 2022 Oregon: Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar finishes 7th in final

Eugene (USA), July 17: India's Murali Sreeshankar on Sunday (July 17) finished 7th in the men's long jump final with a best distance of 7.96 metre in the ongoing World Athletics Championships 2022 at the University of Oregon Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Having become the first Indian male athlete to qualify for the long jump finals in the World Championships, Sreeshankar had raised hopes of a historic medal in the showpiece. But his performance in the final was way below his season's and personal best of 8.36m.

Sreeshankar, who registered 7.96 meter in his first attempt, also could manage only two more valid jumps of 7.89 meter and 7.86 meter with three other jumps of his total six attempts being red flagged.

World Athletics Championships 2022: Full List of Indian Athletes, Schedule, Live Streaming and Timing in IST

The Indian held the lead after the first attempt, but was overtaken by fourth other jumpers after red flag jump in the second attempt. In the third and fifth attempt also, Sreeshankar registered no mark after a red flag. However, he registered 7.89m and 7.86m in the fourth and sixth attempts to finish the final in seventh position.

China's Wang Jianan clinched gold with a jump of 8.36m in the final attemp, surpassing silver medallist Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou, who held the lead till the final round with a best jump of 8.32m. Switzerland's Simon Ehammer won the bronze medal with a jump of 8.16m.

Earlier on Saturday (July 16), Sreeshankar, who has the national record of 8.36m, became the first Indian to qualify for the men's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships with an attempt of 8.00 metres in Group B of qualification.

His compatriots Jeswin Aldrin and Muhammed Anees Yahiya, on the other hand, finished 9th and 11th in Group A of long jump qualification with best jumps of 7.78m and 7.72m respectively. The duo finished 20th and 24th overall to exit the Championships at qualification stages.

Also on Saturday (July 16), MP Jabir finished 7th with the timing of 50.76s in 400 meter men's hurdles heats, failing to progress to the finals like women's 3000 metres steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary, who finished 12th in the heats with a personal best timing of 9:38.09s.