NEW DELHI: More than two years ago, Murali Sreeshankar feared he would never compete again. A ruptured patellar tendon during training in April 2024 forced the Indian long jumper to miss out on his biggest dream – the Paris Olympics – despite qualifying.Doctors, coaches and many around him believe that his career may be over. But he refused to give up.Now, the 27-year-old is back stronger than ever.Going into the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Sreeshankar is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. He opened the year with a jump of 8.15m in Bengaluru, won the Simbine Classic in South Africa with 8.12m and recently registered 8.38m at the National Inter-State Championships – the second best jump of his career after his national record of 8.41m.After winning silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with 8.08m, Sreeshankar now has only one goal in mind – to turn silver into gold.“Because last time I won silver with the same jump, 8.08. I was in good touch, more confident. This time the chances look very good.
I am in the best mood
The 2025 season is about rebuilding for Sreeshankar, both mentally and physically. After the surgery, he shifted his focus to the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and, finally, the LA Olympics.“My main goal in 2025 is to go to the World Championship so that I can set the tone for the 2026 season, which is exactly what happened today. Now in 2026 we have the Commonwealth Games in 10 days and in two and a half months we also have the Asian Games.“The global standards have become higher, but the biggest confidence for me is that physically I am in the best condition since the operation. During the rehabilitation I have worked on many things that have really improved my physical condition and qualities. I am really optimistic and looking forward to the events, especially the Commonwealth Games where the competition will be very high. I am excited to go to Glasgow and give a good competition,” he added.
Prepare Poland for the challenge in Glasgow
Sreeshankar is currently training in Spala, Poland, where the conditions are very similar to what he expected in Glasgow. The Indian star believes that adapting to the Mondo track surface and the cooler weather will make a big difference.“Spala is the absolute best place to train now, not only because of the weather but also because of the track. The track here is Mondo, which is the only surface we will have in Glasgow,” he said.“When I came here to Spala, the first week was difficult because the feedback you get from a Mondo track is completely different from a normal track. We train outside during the night sessions when it’s colder so my body can adjust,” added the long jumper.
Healing is now more important than workload
After suffering a serious knee injury, Sreeshankar said recovery became as important as training.“Work wise, recovery is the most important thing now. Beyond working hard and going all out every day, recovery has become an important part of my training. Basically I train five days a week. One day is active recovery and one day is complete rest because I can’t train the way I trained five years ago because of my knee issue.He added that years of elite competition also took its toll.After the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 2, there is little time to shift focus to the Asian Games. The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi and Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.With the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games coming up within months, Sreeshankar knows the challenge is in his peak time.“The challenge is to peak in two different stages, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. You have to respect your body and give it proper recovery so that it is ready for the next training session. That’s what professional sport is about, managing recovery and training schedules,” he said.
There is no target distance, just trust the process
Over the years, Sreeshankar has taken his performances to another level. His personal best of 8.41m, set at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar in June 2023, remains the national record.Despite jumping 8.38m this season, Sreeshankar believes there is more to come.“I’m not hiding the ceiling for my jump because I feel that this time I have the potential to make a very big jump. I’m not setting any particular mark like a national record or any specific distance. I’m just trusting the process and working on every parameter that’s in my control.“I am very happy because this is my best leap after the operation, but there is still a bigger leap waiting. Once all the different parameters are aligned properly, I will take the big leap. I am eagerly waiting for that day,” said Sreeshankar.