CHENNAI: FOR a while, it felt like M Sreeshankar was on the brink of history. Having already won silver at the event four years ago, he came close to changing the colour to gold, which would have made him the first Indian long jumper to do so at the Commonwealth Games. Instead, he walked away with silver with a 8.09m mark in the men’s long jump final on Wednesday.
Though he walked away with a wry smile following the final attempt, it soon turned into a grin with his father and coach S Murali embracing him on the sidelines as the 27-year-old wrapped the tri-colour around himself. The 2019 World Champion from Jamaica Tajay Gayle took gold with a 8.15m mark. Considering the conditions, the wet track at the Scotstoun Stadium, it was an impressive show from the 27-year-old. From the time he had gone under the knife in 2024, the 27-year-old jumper has returned to his glittering best. In fact, before the CWG began, Sreeshankar felt he was in the best shape ever. “I’m getting these consistent results only because my physical conditions are pretty much good. My jumping abilities have been better than before. I’m able to propel myself quite nicely and decently in the air for so long,” he had said.
Birmingham in 2022 was supposed to be the start of something. That silver metal around his neck gave him a launchpad to better yield the following year. He leapt a personal best of 8.41m, in the National inter-state meet only to be bettered by Jeswin Aldrin (8.42m) later that year, which to this day, remains to be the national record. But the worst came after. He suffered a career-threatening injury, rupturing his patellar tendon on his left knee, forcing him out for the entirety of 2024. For 650 days, Sreeshankar has not taken off. Fear and anxiety hit him and his family. It seemed like there was no way back, or at least not back to his defining best. But in 2025, it was all changing, for good.
On his return in Pune, Sreeshankar leapt past the eight-metre mark. “He started to train slowly in January and only in April did we start athletics training,” Murali had told this daily. “First he jumped about four metres, then four and a half and gradually he improved his distance.” Throughout the medical care, his family kept him alive. They shifted from their more comfortable environs of Palakkad to Thiruvananthapuram. They moved with the jumper and their only ambition throughout had been a medal at the Commonwealth Games followed by the Asiads. Their ultimate goal remains LA 2028.
On Wednesday, one of that goals was achieved but that jump where the body and mind would conjure magic on track is still on the cards. “I feel that once I get all these things done and all the different parameters align properly, then I’ll get that big jump. And I’m eagerly waiting for that day when I connect everything,” Sreeshankar said.
Manpreet misses out on podium
Veteran shot putter Manpreet Kaur (17.47) missed out on a podium as Canada's Sarah Mitton took home gold (19.88m) in the women's shot put final. Lloydricia Cameron (17.87) pipped Kaur out for bronze.
