(Sports News) Jeswin Aldrin, the holder of the national record in long jump, successfully advanced to the finals of his debut World Athletics Championships. However, his fellow competitor Murali Sreeshankar experienced an unexpected exit during the qualification round due to a subpar performance on Wednesday.
Aldrin, who arrived at the grand event as the season’s frontrunner after achieving a national record of 8.42m in March, accomplished a jump of 8.0m on his initial attempt, and despite fouling his next two jumps, he secured a place in the 12-man final scheduled for Thursday.
The individuals who managed to achieve the automatic qualification distance of 8.15m or were among the top 12 from the two qualification groups successfully advanced to the finals.
Aldrin, who secured the sixth position in the qualification round of Group B, emerged as the twelfth highest performer across both groups, securing a spot in the finals as the final qualifier.
Sreeshankar had a series of disappointing jumps, measuring at 7.74m, 7.66m, and 6.70m, resulting in his 12th place finish in the qualification round of Group A and an overall ranking of 22nd.
His departure during the qualification round came as another surprise for the Indian contingent, which was already grappling with the unexpected disappointment of 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable failing to secure a spot in the finals. There were expectations that he would at least progress to the finals.
Sreeshankar has displayed greater consistency than Aldrin throughout this season, consistently surpassing the 8-meter mark on multiple occasions. He achieved his personal best of 8.41m in Bhubaneswar during June and entered the World Championships with the momentum of securing a silver medal with an 8.37m jump at the Asian Championships in July.
However, on Wednesday, Sreeshankar, who had clinched third place in the Paris Diamond League, experienced a loss of form when it mattered the most. Notably, he had secured a seventh-place finish in the 2022 World Championships held in the USA. This marked his third appearance in this prestigious event.
In contrast, this marked Aldrin’s second participation in the World Championships. His previous experience was in the 2022 edition held in the USA, where he failed to progress beyond the qualification round.
In an unusual accomplishment, two Indians, namely Aldrin and Sreeshankar, found themselves at the top of the season’s leader list as the first and second ranked long jumpers respectively, as they entered the World Championships.
Aldrin has encountered challenges in consistently achieving the 8-meter mark following his significant jump at the start of the season. Additionally, he had to contend with fitness concerns that resulted in his absence from the Asian Championships held in July.
His latest performance took place at the CITIUS Meeting in Bern, Switzerland, where he secured victory with a jump of 8.22 meters.
Also Read: World Cup final: 2nd game between Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen ends in draw
