Asian Athletics Championships 2023: Murali Sreeshankar leaps 8.37m to win silver in long jump, qualifies for Paris Olympics

Murali Sreeshankar has clinched the silver medal for India in the men's long jump on the fourth day (July 15) of the 25th Asian Athletics Championships going on in Bangkok, Thailand.

The sensational long jumper of India claimed the second position on the podium, with an excellent effort of 8.37 meters. With this huge leap, he has also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. His other attempts in the final were 8.10m, 8.11m, 8.12m, and 8.13m.

In the men's long jump event at the Asian Athletics Championships, the gold medal went to Yu Tang Lin of Chinese Taipei, whose best effort of the day was 8.40 meters. The athlete from China, Mingkun Zhang, took home the bronze medal. He jumped 8.08 meters to secure third place.

It is noteworthy that the 24-year-old Sreeshankar has been exceptionally good this year. At the 2023 Paris Diamond League, he jumped 8.09 meters to claim the third spot. Thereafter, he also won the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, with an impressive effort of 8.41 meters.

Murali Sreeshankar will now aim to perform well at the upcoming World Athletics Championships scheduled to be held in August. He will also represent India at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Medal winners of India so far at Asian Athletics Championships

The Indian athletes have put up a stunning show at the ongoing Asian Athletics Championships so far. The gold medal winners include: Jyothi Yarraji in women's 100-meter hurdles; Ajay Kumar Saroj in men's 1500 meters; Abdulla Aboobacker in men's triple jump; Tajinderpal Singh Toor in men's shot put; and Parul Chaudhary in women's 3000 meters steeplechase.

Shaili Singh grabbed the silver medal in the women's long jump. Other silver medalists are: Sarvesh Kushare in men's high jump and Murali Sreeshankar in men's long jump.

Meanwhile, the bronze medal winners of India are: Aishwarya Mishra in women's 400 meters; Abhishek Pal in men's 10,000 meters; Tejaswin Shankar in the decathlon; and Santhosh Kumar in men's 400 meter hurdles.