Glasgow: Sreeshankar secures silver in long jump final, misses gold by 6cm
Murali Sreeshankar wins silver in men’s long jump at Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow with an 8.09m leap, adding to India’s athletics success.
Murali Sreeshankar bags Silver in thrilling long jump final, misses Gold by 6cm
Murali Sreeshankar of India secured a silver medal in the men’s long jump event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. His best leap measured 8.09m in a closely contested final. This achievement marks another significant success for India‘s athletics campaign at the games.
Sreeshankar initially led the competition after the first three rounds. However, Jamaica‘s Tajay Gayle, a former world champion, took the lead in the fourth round with a jump of 8.15m. Scotland‘s Stephen Mackenzie earned the bronze medal with a best jump of 8.08m, just one centimetre shy of Sreeshankar’s mark.
Early lead and dramatic turns
Sreeshankar began the final strongly, opening with an 8.09m jump that placed him at the top of the standings for the initial rounds. Mackenzie remained close with his 8.08m effort. Gayle was in third position based on countback, despite matching Mackenzie’s distance. Another Indian athlete, Lokesh, was also in contention, sitting fourth midway through the competition with a jump of 7.97m.
The competition saw a significant shift in the fourth round when Gayle delivered his championship-winning jump of 8.15m. Sreeshankar attempted to reclaim the lead with what appeared to be a substantial jump, but it was ruled a foul by a narrow margin. His father and coach, Murali, later suggested that this jump would have comfortably exceeded 8.20m, indicating how close Sreeshankar was to regaining the top spot.
Heading into the sixth and final round, Sreeshankar still had an opportunity to surpass Gayle. Mackenzie, who jumped before Sreeshankar, recorded 8.06m on his final attempt, securing his bronze medal with his earlier 8.08m jump. Sreeshankar’s final effort was 7.97m, meaning his opening jump of 8.09m remained his best for the event. Gayle, having already secured the gold, did not improve on his last attempt but maintained his winning position.
Sreeshankar’s journey and other performances
This silver medal follows Sreeshankar’s previous silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. He expressed confidence in his physical condition before the games, stating that his jumping abilities had improved since undergoing surgery in 2024. His father, Murali, noted that Sreeshankar started training slowly in January and resumed athletics training in April of the previous year, gradually improving his distances.
The 27-year-old athlete had faced a career-threatening injury in 2024, rupturing his patellar tendon on his left knee, which kept him out for the entire year. His family supported him through his recovery, even relocating to Thiruvananthapuram from Palakkad to aid his medical care. Sreeshankar’s goal remains to achieve a significant jump when all parameters align, with an ultimate ambition for LA 2028.
Lokesh, India‘s second finalist, made an encouraging debut at the Commonwealth Games, finishing fifth. His best jump of 7.97m occurred in the initial rounds, and he was unable to improve upon it in subsequent attempts.
| Position | Athlete | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tajay Gayle (Jamaica) | 8.15m |
| 2 | Murali Sreeshankar (India) | 8.09m |
| 3 | Stephen Mackenzie (Scotland) | 8.08m |
| 4 | Mitrevski (Australia) | 8.02m |
| 5 | Lokesh (India) | 7.97m |
| 6 | Ryan | 7.93m |
| 7 | Daniel | 7.90m |
| 8 | Adcock | 7.74m |
In other events, veteran shot putter Manpreet Kaur missed out on a podium finish in the women’s shot put final. She recorded 17.47m, while Canada‘s Sarah Mitton secured gold with 19.88m. Lloydricia Cameron‘s throw of 17.87m placed her ahead of Kaur for the bronze medal.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Rohan Gupta
Sports Reporter
