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Indian long jump star Murali Sreeshankar has set his sights on a crucial Olympic year with confirmed appearances in two upcoming Diamond League events. The 25-year-old will begin his season at the Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League on April 27, followed by the Doha Diamond League on May 10.
Sreeshankar made history last year, becoming only the third Indian athlete to land a podium finish at a Diamond League meeting. His third-place finish in Paris placed him alongside Olympic javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra and former discus thrower Vikas Gowda.
While Sreeshankar secured a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, a disappointing exit in the qualifying rounds at the World Championships in Budapest left him wanting more.
Murali Sreeshankar's upcoming season has received a boost from the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), where he trains. The institute tweeted their support, saying:
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"TeamIIS athlete Sreeshankar Murali will begin his 2024 season at the ShanghaiDL, and then make his way to Qatar for the DohaDL. Let’s do this, Sree!"
Murali Sreeshankar to be joined by Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena in the Doha Diamond League
The Doha Diamond League promises to be a star-studded affair. Sreeshankar will be joined by Neeraj Chopra, who'll start his season alongside another Indian javelin thrower, Kishore Jena.
Meanwhile, Abdulla Aboobacker, the 2022 Commonwealth Games triple jump silver medalist, will represent India at the season's first Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China, on April 20.
Murali Sreeshankar has been in good form in recent seasons. He started with a win at the Indian Grand Prix (7.94m) and a gold medal at the MVA High Performance meet (8.29m, wind-assisted).
He secured a bronze at the Paris Diamond League with an impressive 8.09m jump, following a season-best 8.18m victory in Kallithea, Greece.
Most recently, Sreeshankar claimed a silver medal at the Asian Games with a jump of 8.19m. He will try to exhibit the same in the upcoming Diamond Leagues.
