In a significant moment for Indian athletics, 21-year-old Jeswin Aldrin emerged as the first Indian ever to clinch a place in the final of the World Athletics Championships 2023. This commendable achievement came in the men's long jump event, where Aldrin registered a notable effort of 8 meters. However, this distance was notably shorter than his personal best.
Simultaneously, Murali Sreeshankar, another highly anticipated contender, faced a surprise exit after failing to meet expectations in the qualification round.
Coming into the Championships with the reputation of being a season leader, Aldrin boasted an impressive national record of 8.42m achieved in March. Despite fouling in his subsequent two jumps, Aldrin's 8.0m in his initial attempt was sufficient to qualify him for the 12-man final scheduled for Thursday. He was the last athlete to clinch a spot, finishing sixth in the Group B qualification round and standing 12th overall. The qualifiers either needed to surpass the automatic qualification distance of 8.15m or be among the top 12 across the two qualification groups.
On the other hand, the Championship proved less fortunate for Sreeshankar. Even though he has consistently surpassed the 8m mark this season and set his personal best of 8.41m in Bhubaneswar in June, his performance on Wednesday was less than stellar. He recorded jumps of 7.74m, 7.66m, and 6.70m, concluding at 12th in the Group A qualification round and a disappointing 22nd overall.
Sreeshankar's unexpected exit came as a jolt to the Indian contingent, already disheartened by Avinash Sable's failure in the 3000m steeplechase. Sreeshankar's consistency throughout the season, including his silver-winning jump of 8.37m at the Asian Championships in July, had set high expectations. Unfortunately, his form waned during the crucial qualification round.
Interestingly, this Championship marked Aldrin's second attempt; he had previously faced elimination in the qualification round in the 2022 edition held in the USA. It's noteworthy that both Aldrin and Sreeshankar entered this year's Championships ranked first and second on the season leaders' list for long jumpers.
Despite Aldrin's commendable early-season performance, he encountered challenges in maintaining the 8m standard. Fitness concerns even kept him out of the Asian Championships in July. However, he showcased his potential recently at the CITIUS Meeting in Bern, Switzerland, taking home the victory with an 8.22m jump.
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