Murali Sreeshankar silver in thrilling long jump final, misses out on gold by 6cm

Glasgow: India’s Murali Sreeshankar (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) India’s Murali Sreeshankar clinched the silver medal in the men’s long jump at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a personal best of 8.09m in Thursday’s fiercely contested final. The Indian star led the competition after the opening three rounds but eventually settled for silver after Jamaica’s former world champion Tajay Gayle cleared 8.15m in the fourth round. Scot Stephen Mackenzie completed the podium with with a best jump of 8.08m, just one centimeter behind Sreeshankar. The medal added another major achievement to India’s athletics campaign in Glasgow.

Sreeshankar leads early before Gayle strikes

Sreeshankar made an excellent start to the final, opening it with a superb 8.09m, which kept him at the top of the standings after the first three rounds. Scotland’s Mackenzie stayed in touch at 8.08m, while Gayle took third on the countback despite matching the Scot’s distance. Fellow Indian Lokesh was also in contention after clearing 7.97m, sitting fourth halfway through the competition.

Gayle creates a championship-winning dive

The competition took a dramatic turn in the fourth round when Gayle made a brilliant leap of 8.15m to take the lead. Sreeshankar responded with what looked like a massive dive but was denied by the narrowest of margins as the attempt was called for a foul. His father and coach Murali later suggested that the jump would comfortably clear 8.20m, underscoring how close the Indian was to regaining the lead.

The final round ends India’s gold hopes

In the sixth and final round, Sreeshankar still had an opportunity to overtake Gayle. Scotsman Mackenzie, who jumped ahead of the Indian, managed 8.06m on his final attempt, leaving his best mark behind at 8.08 to secure the bronze medal.Sreeshankar’s final attempt measured 7.97m, meaning his opening jump of 8.09m remained his best in the competition. Already assured of gold, Gayle failed to improve on his last attempt but comfortably retained the title.

Lokesh Impresses on Commonwealth Games Debut

India’s other runner-up, Lokesh, enjoyed an encouraging debut at the Commonwealth Games, finishing fifth. His best performance of 7.97m came in the opening rounds, but he was unable to improve on his remaining attempts.

Final standings

PositionAthleteDistance1 Tajay Gayle (Jamaica)8.15 m2Murali Sreeshankar (India)8.09 m3Stephen Mackenzie (Scotland)8.08 m4Mitrevski (Australia)8.02 m5Lokesh (India)7.97 m6 Ryan7.93 m7 Daniel7.90 m8 Adcock7.74 m