Daijiworld Media Network – Almaty

Almaty, Aug 3: India’s star long jumper Murali Sreeshankar marked a remarkable comeback from a long injury lay-off by winning his third straight title at the Qosanov Memorial Athletics Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.

The 26-year-old leapt to 7.94 metres on his very first attempt, clinching the top spot at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze label meet. His series of jumps also included efforts of 7.73m, 7.58m, 7.57m, 7.80m, and 7.79m.

Sreeshankar, who boasts a personal best of 8.41m, had suffered a knee injury in April last year, forcing him to undergo surgery and miss the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite already qualifying for the event.

Since returning to competition, he first won the Indian Open in Pune with a jump of 8.05m, followed by a 7.75m gold-winning leap at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto in Portugal. The latest win in Almaty adds to his growing momentum.

Before his injury, Sreeshankar’s last international event was the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he secured a silver medal.

The ace jumper is now eyeing qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo this September, where the entry standard for the men’s long jump is 8.27m.