Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships: Sreeshankar clinches long jump title, but fails to qualify for Worlds

CHENNAI: India’s long jump athlete Murali Sreeshankar extended his win streak to five events in this season after tasting success at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2025, but failed to breach the qualification mark for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next month.

Sreeshankar made an 8.06m leap, but fell short of the 8.27m men’s long jump qualifying mark for the World Athletics Championships, according to Olympics.com. The 26-year-old, who returned from a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines from last year’s Paris Olympics, has won every competition that he has participated in.

8.05m – Indian Open Athletics Meet
8.13m – World Continental Tour Bronze Meet
8.06m – Inter State Athletics Championships

Coming back from injury.
Has crossed 8m in three competitions this season.
Only the second Indian to cross the 8m mark in Long Jump in… pic.twitter.com/mCQn8KL9tB

— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) August 24, 2025

The six attempts that Sreeshankar had were his last chance to earn a direct qualification for next month’s marquee event in Tokyo. Sreeshankar has cleared 8.27m five times in his career and holds the national record of 8.41m. S Lokesh (7.71m) and Swaminathan R (7.70m) took silver and bronze, respectively, in the event.

In the men’s javelin throw event, Rohit Yadav led the field and delivered a personal best of 83.65m. Sachin Yadav (83.20m) and Shivam Lohakare (80.20m) took second and third place, respectively. Rohit, ranked 57th on Road to Tokyo 25, needed to breach the entry standard of 85.50m to qualify for the World Championships.

With the defending world champion Neeraj Chopra already assured of a berth, India is expected to field three throwers in the Tokyo event. Sachin Yadav (22nd) and Yash Vir Singh (30th) currently occupy a spot inside the cut-off rankings. Yash Vir Singh sent his javelin to a distance of 76.22m at the Inter-State Championships to finish fourth.

National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2025 Day 5 results:

Men’s 10000m: Abhishek (30:56.64); 2. Shivaji Parashu Madappagoudra (30:57.69); 3. Shivam (30:59.14)
Men’s long jump: M Sreeshankar (8.06m); 2. S Lokesh (7.71m); 3. Swaminathan R (7.70m)
Women’s high jump: Gobika K (1.80m); 2. Pallavi Patil (1.73m); 3. Jonika Pahal (1.73m)
Men’s javelin throw: Rohit Yadav (83.65m); 2. Sachin Yadav (83.20m); 3. Shivam Lohakare (80.20m)
Women’s heptathlon: Anamika K.A. (5466 pts); 2. Deepika S (5134 pts); 3. Sonu Kumari (2050 pts)
Men’s 3000m steeplechase: Balkishan (8:51.17); 2. Shubham Bhandare (8:51.77); 3. Sharuk Khan (8:52.29)
Women’s 3000m steeplechase: Ankita (9:44.83); 2. Ankita (10:20.89); 3. Anupriya M (10:36.81)
Women’s 4x400m relay: 1. Karnataka – 3:38.29 (D Gowda, Priya Mohan, Poovamma Raju, Veerpal); 2. Punjab – 3:38.49 (Disha Alige, Kiranpal Kaur, Ramandeep Kaur, Rashdeep Kaur); 3. Tamil Nadu – 3:38.54 (Olimba Steffi, N Mariea, Dhesikha V, Gowrinandana)
Men’s 4x400m relay: 1. Tamil Nadu – 3:07.53 (Santhosh T, Rajesh Ramesh, Kapil Raika, Vikrant Panchal); 2. Haryana – 3:07.69 (Yokesh T, Ashish Phogat, Vishal TK, Krishan Kumar); 3. Karnataka – 3:08.87 (Balakrishna, Tushar Bhekane, Nihal Joel, Rihan). (ANI)