In what is a big blow to Team India’s chances at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, country’s best long-jumper Murali Sreeshankar has been ruled out of the event due to a knee injury he sustained during training. Now the talented athlete would have to undergo a surgery or the same, and will miss the entire 2024 season.
Murali Sreeshankar a Medal Hope at Paris 2024
Sreeshankar, who had made it to the Paris Olympics after recording a massive jump of 8.37m at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, was one of the medal prospects for India in track & field, apart from Neeraj Chopra. He had been doing well the past year and was supposed to begin the 2024 season on April 27 at the Shanghai Diamond League.
“Unfortunately, in what feels like a nightmare, but is a reality, my Paris Olympics dream is over,” Sreeshankar said in a social media post. “I suffered a knee injury during training on Tuesday, and all the tests and consultations later, it’s been decided that I would need surgery, ruling me out of the one single thing I’ve chased relentlessly all these years.
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“All my life, I had the courage to look at a setback in the eye, accept situations I can’t change, and work hard at dictating the outcomes of those I can,” he added.
“Life writes strange scripts, and some times there is courage in accepting it and moving on. That’s what I will do. My journey to a comeback began the minute I injured my knee. The road is going to be long, difficult and will take a lot out of me. The good thing is, I’ve a lot to give. I will overcome this, because that’s what Mamba Mentality is all about,” said Sreeshankar.
World Leader in 2023
Murali Sreeshankar had created history of sorts last year, when he became only the third Indian ever to finish in the top three at a Diamond League meeting. He had even won a silver medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.
In June last year, Sreeshankar had become only the third Indian to finish in the top three in a Diamond League Meeting with a third-place finish. He, however, disappointed with a qualifying round exit in the World championships at Budapest but came back strongly to win the Asian Games silver at Huangzhou.
Having said that, in June last year, he had leapt a personal best distance of 8.41m, which was the fourth-best for 2023.
