Indian Open Jumps Competition 2022 | Murali Sreeshankar returns to form, qualifies for CWG and Asian with 8.17m jump

Indian Open Jumps Competition 2022 | Murali Sreeshankar returns to form, qualifies for CWG and Asian with 8.17m jump

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A file image of Murali Sreeshankar.

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Murali Sreeshankar, the national record holder, won gold in the inaugural Indian Open Jumps Competition 2022 on Tuesday at the Chandrasekharan Nair Police Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Sreeshankar needed to jump 7.98m and 8.00m to qualify for the CWG and Asian Games, respectively.

He cleared 8.14m in his first attempt and improved to 8.17m in his sixth and final attempt to break the record in both events. It was the third-best attempt of his career. Second-placed Muhammed Anees Yahiya, the younger brother of Asian Games gold medalist runner Muhammed Anas Yahiya, wasn't far behind and set a personal best of 8.15m to qualify for the Commonwealth and Asian Games as well.

With a 7.61m effort, Yugant Shekar Singh came in third. Six Indian athletes made the cut for the day's showpiece events, including Murali Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya. In the men's triple jump, however, reigning Asian Games champion Arpinder Singh's 16.02m jump did not meet the qualifying standards.

In the triple jump, athletes must clear 16.43m to qualify for the Asian Games, but they must clear 16.28m to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. Eldhose Paul (16.93m), Karthik Unnikrishnan (16.87m), and Abdulla Aboobacker (16.81m), three triple jumpers from Kerala, met the requirements.

Ancy Sojan, the U20 national champion in the women's long jump, won gold with a best jump of 6.51m, breaking the Commonwealth and Asian Games qualifying standards in the process. On her fifth attempt, Ancy Sojan broke the 6.50m and 6.45m barriers to qualify for both the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

With a jump of 6.35 metres, Nayana James, a former Asian bronze medalist, came in second. Pooja Saini finished third with a 6.12m effort, while Sandra Babu, the current U23 national champion, did not compete. Indian athletes will compete in the Indian Grand Prix 1 and Indian Grand Prix 2 on March 13 and March 23, respectively, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

MEDAL WINNERS

Men

High Jump: 1. Chethan Balasubramanya (Karnataka) 2.09m; 2. Manu Francis (Kerala) 2.09m; 3. Swadhin Kumar Majhi (Odisha) 2.09m.

Long Jump: 1. Murali Sreeshankar (Kerala) 8.17m; 2. Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Kerala) 8.15m; 3. Yugant Shekar Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 7.61m.

Triple Jump: 1. Eldhose Paul (Kerala) 16.93m; 2. Karthik Unnikrishnan (Kerala) 16.87m; 3. Abdulla Aboobacker (Kerala) 16.81m.

Pole Vault: 1. Avneesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 4.90m; 2. A. Gnana Sone (Tamil Nadu) 4.70m; 3. Sakthi Mahendran (Tamil Nadu) 4.50m.

Women

High Jump: 1. Abhinaya Shetty (Karnataka) 1.82m; 2. Gracena Merly (Tamil Nadu) 1.77m; 3. Angel Devasia (Kerala) 1.74m.

Long Jump: 1. Ancy Sojan (Kerala) 6.51m; 2. Nayana James (Kerala) 6.35m; 3. Pooja Saini (Rajasthan) 6.12m.

Triple Jump: 1. Aleena Jose (Kerala) 12.68m; 2. Sheena V (Kerala) 12.47m; 3. Meera Shibu (Kerala) 12.43m.

Pole Vault: 1. Pavithra Venkatesh (Tamil Nadu) 3.90m; 2. Baranica Elangovan (Tamil Nadu) 3.80m; 3. Divya Mohan (Kerala) 3.70m.

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