Sreeshankar Soars Back: 7.75m Win in Portugal Marks Strong Return

Indian long jumper secures victory in first international outing since injury, reclaiming winning form.

Murali Sreeshankar has made a triumphant return to the international athletics scene, clinching the men’s long jump title at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto 2025 in Portugal. This victory marks his first competition abroad since 2023.

Dominant Performance on Portuguese Soil

The 26-year-old Indian athlete leaped to a best mark of 7.75 meters on his second attempt, securing the top podium spot. This performance came at a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level meet.

Sreeshankar‘s winning jump edged out Poland’s Piotr Tarkowski, who also recorded 7.75m. Under World Athletics regulations, Sreeshankar claimed first place due to his superior second-best jump of 7.69m, compared to Tarkowski‘s 7.58m.

Australia’s Chris Mitrevski secured third place with a final leap of 7.68 meters.

Resilience After Injury

The Portugal meet represents Sreeshankar‘s second competition following a significant knee injury sustained in April 2024, an injury that necessitated surgery and ruled him out of the Paris 2024 Olympics. His comeback journey began earlier this month with an 8.05m jump at the Indian Open Athletics Meet 2025 in Pune, where he also emerged victorious.

Sreeshankar had previously qualified for the Paris Games with an impressive 8.37m jump, exceeding the Olympic entry standard of 8.27m, to win silver at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Bangkok. His last major international appearance before his injury was also a silver-medal performance at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.

In 2023, the average winning distance in Diamond League men’s long jump events was approximately 8.25 meters, highlighting the competitive nature of the discipline.