After opening his season at the Indian Athletics Series-1 competition in Bengaluru on April 4, where he recorded five jumps of over 8m, including the winning leap of 8.15m, he went to South Africa to train for three weeks in cold conditions.  | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Murali Sreeshankar didn’t have to be there for the Indian Athletics Series-6 event on Sunday.

The 27-year-old long jumper has already met the eligibility criteria set by the Athletics Federation of India for competing at the upcoming Federation Cup, which will serve as the selection trial for the Commonwealth Games (CWG).

But the desire to make up for lost time and better his results from the last editions of CWG, as well as the Asian Games — he clinched silver medals at both — brought the Palakkad native to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

However, what Sreeshankar may not have imagined was competing in a furnace-like environment.

In temperatures nearing 33 degrees Celsius (which felt like 42) and extremely humid conditions after a passing shower, the 5’11” jumper was forced to look for options to save himself from being completely scorched between his leaps.

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With the sun right on top and no roofed enclosure around the sand pit, he had no place to hide.

He looked for respite behind a banner but found it even hotter there.

He splashed water all over his face. Ice packs, umbrella, pickle juice, energy gel..... he tried every possible method to survive.

“I would say this is the hottest environment in which I have ever competed,” admitted Sreeshankar.

Nevertheless, when it came to performance, the long jumper added another glorious chapter to what he terms as his “comeback season” as he took the top spot with an effort of 8.04m.

Sreeshankar had sustained a tear in his patellar tendon during training in April 2024, which forced him to miss the Paris Olympics. He returned to the pit in July last year and remarkably, managed to qualify for the World Championships after a gruelling effort of competing in five events across six weeks. Finishing 25th overall, however, meant he was still not at his best.

In 2026, he is leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of excellence as he builds up to the two big events later in the season.

After opening his season at the Indian Athletics Series-1 competition in Bengaluru on April 4, where he recorded five jumps of over 8m, including the winning leap of 8.15m, he went to South Africa to train for three weeks in cold conditions. They resembled those of Glasgow - the host city for CWG. In South Africa, he won the Simbine Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting, with a jump of 8.12m on April 28.

In Chennai, it wasn’t his best performance but he wasn’t far away from where he wanted to be.

He committed three fouls and at least two of those three were closer to the 8.30m mark. “I still have to work on my approach (the sprint before landing on the takeoff board) but the good part was that in spite of everything, I jumped over that cone (marking the National Record of 8.42m). So, I know that the jump is there. It is just about time,” reflected Sreeshankar.

More importantly, he achieved his prime objective. “My only goal here today was to come out of it injury-free,” he said.

As he gears up to be in the best possible shape for the CWG and the Asian Games, he has also zeroed in on a particular distance he wants to cover. But he is keeping his cards close.

“Obviously, I have a big mark in my mind but I don’t want to reveal it yet. Otherwise, I have to walk the talk which brings more pressure. I’m just letting it happen,” said Sreeshankar.

Published on May 10, 2026