Asian Games silver medallist Murali Sreeshankar continued his strong start to the season by winning the men’s long jump title at the Simbine Classic 2026 athletics meet in Pretoria, South Africa, on Tuesday.
Competing at the Pilditch Stadium, the 27-year-old Indian athlete won the competition with a leap of 8.12m, ahead of South African duo Divan Manuel (8.07m) and Rio 2016 silver medallist Luvo Manyonga (7.86m).
The Simbine Classic 2026 is a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver, Category B level event.
Murali Sreeshankar’s personal best is 8.41m, which came at the Indian Championships three years ago. Jeswin Aldrin holds the men’s long jump national record with 8.42m.
This was Murali Sreeshankar’s second competitive outing of the season having also won the first Indian Athletics Series earlier this month in Bengaluru, where he leapt 8.15m.
With it, Sreeshankar also breached the Athletics Federation of India’s Asian Games qualifying standard of 7.91m.
However, breaching the AFI mark does not guarantee a place in India’s Asian Games contingent.
Under the AFI selection process, athletes must compete in a minimum of three domestic competitions – including mandatory participation at state championships.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/simbine-classic-2026-athletics-long-jump-india-murali-sreeshankar
