Murali Sreeshankar, India’s star long jumper, is embarking on a strategic approach for the upcoming season, prioritizing the Paris Olympics over extensive travel and competition. After a grueling schedule last year, Sreeshankar has opted to start his season later and focus on targeted events.
Last season, Sreeshankar competed in 10 events over seven months, including training stints in the US and Greece. Despite impressive performances, including a personal best of 8.41m and medals at the Asian Athletics Championships and Asian Games, the rigorous schedule took its toll.
This season, Sreeshankar’s father and coach, S Murali, has devised a plan to conserve energy and optimize performance for the Paris Olympics. The season will begin with the Shanghai Diamond League on April 27, followed by the Doha Diamond League on May 10. Sreeshankar will then train in Cyprus for 40 days before returning for the Inter-state competition in June.
In addition to reducing travel and competition, Sreeshankar is also experimenting with a new runup technique. He will transition from a static start to a running start, which is expected to increase his speed on the runway and potentially lead to longer jumps.
“If you want to go big at the Olympics, you have to do something extraordinary,” said Murali. “The target is to go beyond the 8.50m mark, and for that, we have to do something different.”
Sreeshankar’s training conditions in Palakkad have been favorable, and he is confident in his preparation. “Training conditions are very good here now,” said Murali. “We have almost all the facilities here.”
With the Paris Olympics as his primary focus, Sreeshankar is determined to make the most of his opportunities and deliver a memorable performance on the world’s biggest stage.
