Glasgow: India’s men’s triple jump contingent delivered a memorable double podium finish at the Commonwealth Games 2026 as national record holder Praveen Chithravel clinched the silver medal while rising star Selva Prabhu Thirumaran secured bronze in a high-quality final on Saturday.
Praveen, who had narrowly missed a medal by just three centimetres at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, finally earned his long-awaited podium finish with a best leap of 16.58m, while Selva produced a season’s best effort of 16.52m to ensure two Indian flags were raised during the medal ceremony.
Jamaica’s Jordan Scott won the gold medal with a best jump of 16.72m, edging Praveen by just 14 centimetres.
Praveen showed consistency throughout the competition. He opened with 16.05m, followed it with 15.64m, and improved to 16.31m in his third attempt before producing his best jump of 16.58m on his fourth. His fifth attempt measured 16.40m, while his final effort ended in a foul, though it did not affect his silver-medal position.
Selva also built momentum as the competition progressed. The 21-year-old started with 15.87m, improved to 16.17m, and then 16.43m in the third round. After fouling his fourth attempt, he responded brilliantly with 16.52m in the fifth round to move into the bronze-medal position before closing with 16.08m.
The silver medal marked a significant milestone for Praveen, who has steadily established himself among Asia’s leading triple jumpers.
After announcing himself with gold at the inaugural Khelo India School Games in 2018 and a historic bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games later that year, Praveen has consistently excelled on the international stage. He won silver at the 2023 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, where he set a national indoor record, before improving the Indian outdoor national record to 17.37m and claiming bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
For Selva, the bronze medal marked the continuation of his rapid rise in international athletics. The Madurai-born jumper first came into the spotlight after winning silver at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships.
He went on to become the first Indian to be named the Asian Athletics Association’s Best Asian Under-20 Male Athlete of the Year in 2023 and broke the Indian U20 record with a jump of 16.79m. Earlier this year, Selva crossed the coveted 17-metre mark with a personal best of 17.05m, finishing runner-up at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships before winning the NCAA Division I Outdoor title.
(IANS)
