NEW DELHI: More than two years ago, Murali Sreeshankar fearing that they will no longer be able to compete. A patellar tendon rupture during training in April 2024 forced the Indian diver to miss out on his biggest dream – the Paris Olympics – despite having already qualified.Doctors, coaches and many around him believe that his career may be over. But he refused to give up.Today, the 27-year-old is back stronger than ever.Heading into the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Sreeshankar is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. He opened the year with a jump of 8.15m in Bengaluru, won the Simbine Classic in South Africa with 8.12m and recently registered 8.38m at the National Inter-State Championships – the second best jump of his career after his record of 8.41m.After winning silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with 8.08m, Sreeshankar now has only one goal – to turn silver into gold.“Because the last time I won silver with the same jump, 8.08. I am in good harmony, I am very confident. This time the opportunity looks very good. I hope to change the color of the medal,” Sreeshankar told reporters during a press conference.
I am awesome
The 2025 season was all about rebuilding Sreeshankar, mentally and physically. After surgery, he shifted his focus to the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and, finally, the LA Olympics.“My main goal in 2025 was to be at the World Championship to set the tone for the 2026 season, which is happening right now. Now in 2026 we have the Commonwealth Games in 10 days and in two and a half months we have the Asian Games as well. It’s about planning your preparation to make sure you arrive at the right time,” he said.“The international standards have been very high, but the biggest confidence for me is that my body is in the best shape after the surgery. During the rehabilitation I worked on many things that changed my body and my behavior. I have hope and I am looking forward to the events, especially the Commonwealth Games where the competition will be very high. I am happy to go to Glasgow and give a good competition,” he added.
Preparing Poland for the challenges of Glasgow
Sreeshankar is currently training in Spala, Poland, where the conditions are very similar to what he expects in Glasgow. The Indian star believes that the switch to the Mondo track surface and the cooler weather will make a big difference.“Spala is the best place to train at the moment, not only because of the weather but also because of the track. The track is Mondo, which is the place we will have in Glasgow,” he said.“When I came here to Spala, the first week was difficult because the answers you get from the Mondo method are very different from the normal method. We have been training outside during the evening when it is too cold for my body to change,” said the long jumper.
Recovery is now more important than workload
After a serious knee injury, Sreeshankar says recovery has become as important as training.“Work-wise, recovery is the most important thing now. More than working hard and going every day, recovery has been a big part of my training. I actually train five days a week. One day I’m recovering and the other day I’m completely resting because I can’t train the way I trained five years ago because of my knee problem.”He added that the years of elite competition have also been very disruptive.After the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2, there will be no time to focus on the Asian Games. The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi and Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.With both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games coming up within a few months, Sreeshankar knows that the challenge lies in timing his peak.“The challenge is at the peak of two different stages, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. You have to respect your body and give it the proper recovery to be ready for the next stage of training. This is what the sport of gymnastics has, managing the recovery and training plans,” he said.
There is no target distance, it depends only on the process
Over the years, Sreeshankar has taken his acting to the next level. His best of 8.41m, set at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar in June 2023, remains the national record.Despite jumping 8.38m this season, Sreeshankar believes there is more to come.“I have not kept the ceiling of my jump because I feel that this season I have the opportunity to make a very big jump. I have not set any mark like a world record or any other distance. I am just trusting the process and working on every parameter that is in my hands. I am hopeful that the big jump will come in the big competition,” he said.“I was very happy because I was jumping well after the surgery, but there is still a big jump to wait for. When all the different parts come together well, I will get a big jump. I am looking forward to that day,” said Sreeshankar.