New Delhi: India’s premier long jumper Murali Sreeshankar continued his impressive comeback from injury, winning gold at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto 2025—a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level event—held in Portugal. Sreeshankar clinched the top spot with a best effort of 7.75 meters.
The 26-year-old began the competition with a solid jump of 7.63m, followed by his winning leap of 7.75m in the second round. He continued with attempts of 7.69m, a foul, 6.12m, and concluded with 7.58m. Poland’s Piotr Tarkowski and Australia’s Chris Mitrevski secured second and third place respectively.
This victory is another milestone in Sreeshankar’s road to recovery after a serious knee injury sustained in April 2024, which sidelined him for several months and forced him to miss the Paris Olympics. Prior to the injury, he had already qualified for the Olympics with an impressive jump of 8.37m, which earned him a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships.
Sreeshankar had a mixed but notable 2023 season, highlighted by silver medals at both the Asian Championships and the Asian Games. He also featured in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and reached the Diamond League Finals in Eugene, USA.
Marking his return from injury, Sreeshankar dominated the long jump event at the Indian Open Athletics Meet 2025 in Pune on July 12. Competing at the Savitribai Phule University Sports Complex, he won with a leap of 8.05m in his fourth attempt, following earlier jumps of 7.84m and 7.99m. The World Athletics Championships 2025 qualification mark stands at 8.27m, a target Sreeshankar is now firmly aiming for.
This latest win in Portugal reinforces Sreeshankar’s return to form as he sets his sights on qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo and gearing up for a strong showing at next year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games.
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