ATHLETICS | Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar bullish on hitting Worlds qualification mark

The 26-year-old received gold in three meets – Portugal, Kazakhstan and Bhubaneswar. His finest has been an 8.13m within the World Tour Continental bronze occasion in Bhubaneswar (August 10), after leaping to 7.75m in Portugal and seven.94m in Kazakhstan.

With the qualifying mark for the Worlds (September 13 to 21 in Tokyo) set at 8.27m, the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist, feels he can pull it off and that he will probably be below no strain when he competes within the National Inter-State meet, commencing on the Nehru Stadium right here on August 20. The Inter-State is the ultimate choice trials for the Worlds.

“I’m making an attempt to chase the qualification mark in a month, one thing which ought to have occurred in a span of 1 yr. So, I’m squeezing in a one-year course of into one month,” Sreeshankar instructed The Hindu on Tuesday.

“But I wish to get that qualification mark after which go for the World Championships. I’ve hit the qualification mark after which gone for each Worlds (2019 in Doha & 2023 in Budapest), reasonably than primarily based on World rankings.”

Sreeshankar mentioned he has ready properly and that his knee is responding properly. “My physique is nice. Preparation, too, has been glorious. My knee is responding fairly properly to the coaching. I’m anticipating some good outcomes when the finals of the lads’s lengthy bounce begins on Aug. 24 (Sunday). There is not any strain. So, when preparation meets alternative, massive jumps will come,” he mentioned.