Nagoya: India’s Murali Sreeshankar produced a gutsy performance to win silver in the men’s long jump at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, overcoming severe pain from an ankle injury to finish with a best effort of 8.07m.
Sreeshankar, the reigning Asian Games silver medallist, registered his best jump on the second attempt to move into second place and stayed there until the end of the competition. China’s Shi Yuhao won gold with a season-best 8.17m, while Uzbekistan’s Anvar Anvarov secured bronze with 8.06m.
The Indian appeared in control of his challenge for a medal until the fourth round, when he suffered a heavy landing after slipping off the mark. He immediately showed signs of discomfort and removed his spikes before medics advised him to have the ankle assessed.
Sreeshankar, however, was unwilling to surrender his position in the competition.
Despite the pain, he remained on the field and eventually opted to skip his fifth attempt. With the athletes below him unable to better his 8.07m mark, the Indian had the security of a silver medal heading into the final round.
He then decided against taking his sixth jump as well, bringing his competition to an end. Sreeshankar was later seen limping as he congratulated Shi and Anvarov after the medal positions were confirmed.
His 8.07m was also his first eight-metre-plus jump of these Asian Games and proved enough to keep him ahead of a tightly packed chasing group. Anvarov finished just one centimetre behind the Indian, while Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-tang was fourth with a season-best 8.05m.
Japan’s Riku Ito and Yuki Hashioka finished fifth and sixth with 7.97m and 7.94m, respectively. India’s other competitor, David Solomon Patturaj, finished seventh with 7.70m.
Sreeshankar’s latest medal adds another Asian Games silver to his collection after he finished second in the event at the previous edition. His performance in Nagoya was particularly notable for the circumstances, with the Indian forced to balance his medal hopes against an injury that visibly restricted him in the closing rounds.
The gold ultimately went to Shi, whose 8.17m established a clear lead early in the final. Sreeshankar’s 8.07m, meanwhile, stood firm despite the late challenge from Anvarov and Lin.
(IANS)
