VIDEO: Murali Sreeshankar Overcomes Cold, Wind And Rain To Qualify For CWG 2026 Long Jump Final In First Attempt

Glasgow, July 27: Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar overcame cold, windy and rainy conditions to qualify for the Commonwealth Games 2026 men's long jump final in his very first attempt on Monday. Despite the difficult weather that troubled all athletes, Sreeshankar needed just one jump to book his place in the final.

Sreeshankar, who came into the Games with a season-best jump of 8.38m, cleared the automatic qualification mark by jumping 8.01m in his opening attempt in Group A. Having secured direct qualification, he skipped his remaining attempts and saved his energy for the medal round.

Speaking after the event, the Indian athlete said the conditions were far from ideal for the competitors.

He said, "Qualifications went quite well. The conditions were tricky for everyone. It was cold and windy, and it rained as well in between. But I made it through in the first attempt, so really excited for the finals."

His comments highlighted the challenge athletes faced during the qualification round with changing weather making it difficult to produce big jumps. Even so, Sreeshankar handled the conditions well and sealed his place in the final without any trouble.

The Indian star will now aim to improve on the silver medal he won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. With the best season's mark among the field, Sreeshankar will head into the final as one of the strongest contenders for the gold medal.