Seasoned long jumper M. Sreeshankar values his second-best career effort of 8.38m, achieved despite a wet track and rotating wind at the National inter-State athletics at the Kalinga Stadium here.<\/p>\n
Sreeshankar emphasised that this was his best performance since undergoing a knee surgery in April 2024. Despite a swollen knee and a troublesome ankle, he has shown strong consistency, clearing 8m in all five competitions since April this season.<\/p>\n
Retaining the enthusiasm<\/h4>\n
The 27-year-old retains the enthusiasm he had eight years ago when he first crossed the 8m mark as a teenager. \u201cI was just counting. This was my 60th jump above 8m. The kind of consistency I\u2019ve put in, especially after the career-threatening injury I had in 2024, I was eagerly awaiting a good jump,\u201d said Sreeshankar, whose personal best stands at 8.41m.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter being told that I won\u2019t be able to jump again, it really feels special. I\u2019m grateful for whatever I\u2019m doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill, my knees are not 100%, they\u2019re swollen. There are three ankle screws. I need to ice it regularly, do a soft tissue massage and work on my mechanics. I\u2019ve gotten used to the new kind of training schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n
He thanked his father-cum-coach S. Murali and strength-and-conditioning coach Wayne Lombard for their solid support.<\/p>\n
Sreeshankar is delighted with the depth in Indian long jump. \u201cBefore we left our room today, I told my dad that the competition is going to be above 8.30m for sure,\u201d revealed Sreeshankar, who is now seventh among the world\u2019s leading jumpers this season.<\/p>\n
Shahnavaz Khan backed Sreeshankar\u2019s prediction, leaping 8.30m to place second and move to 11th in the world. \u201cThere\u2019re at least three-four people who are capable of that kind of jump. India has a wild start right now. We\u2019ve four jumpers above 8.20m (in 2026).\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspiration<\/h4>\n
Aware of the challenges the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will present, Sreeshankar looks to elite global athletes for inspiration.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to replicate what we do here, just there. Miltiadis Tentoglou and others, irrespective of the conditions, don\u2019t complain. Adaptation is something that we\u2019re missing. Once that comes, LA 2028 should be really interesting,\u201d said Sreeshankar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n