PALAKKAD (KERALAM), Oct 2: Asian Games silver medallist long jumper M Sreeshankar on Friday expressed confidence that his fourth career silver medal would eventually pave the way for a major gold, saying he hoped to achieve the feat in 2028.
Sreeshankar won the silver medal at the Asian Games in Japan despite suffering an injury during his fourth attempt.
Speaking to reporters at his residence after returning from Japan, Sreeshankar said his physical condition and preparation were good enough for an 8.20m-plus jump, but a slip while attempting the distance affected his performance.
"My body condition was really, really good. I had all the conditions required to jump 8.20m+. So, during the jump aimed at reaching 8.20m, my leg went a bit forward, and I suddenly slipped and fell like Superman," he said.
Calling it his fourth silver medal, Sreeshankar said he had missed gold by very narrow margins on previous occasions but believed those experiences were leading him towards a major triumph.
"This is my fourth silver medal. All of them were missed by very, very small margins. But I believe all this is leading up to a big medal. If I get a gold in 2028, then everything will be compensated, for sure," he said.
Asked whether winning the medal was a stroke of luck, Sreeshankar said the difficult weather conditions had made the competition unpredictable.
"Definitely. Because in these weather conditions, the performance could go either way. It was raining heavily, but alongside the rain, it was also humid. So, jumping above 8 metres gave me good confidence," he said.
He said he had expected jumps in the range of 8.10m or 8.15m but felt his 8.07m effort was satisfactory under the circumstances.
The heat, humidity and rain had caused cramps among several athletes, making the ability to adapt to the conditions crucial to winning a medal, he said. |
