Exclusive: I used to have Usain Bolt’s posters in my room, says India’s CWG’22 star Murali Sreeshankar

The clock is set to hit 12:00 AM in a few hours with 2022 becoming history. The year once again brought to fore India’s rich talent in the sporting fraternity with many glittering performances. During 2022, many rising stars made a prominent mark and became household names after success in big-ticket tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games 2022, T20 World Cup, Women’s ODI World Cup, Thomas Cup, etc.

In the CWG’22, India ended with as many as 61 medals — fourth-most overall — with the likes of Mirabai Chanu, PV Sindhu, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Nikhat Zareen, Sharath Kamal, Vinesh Phogat, Amit Panghal, Indian women’s and men’s hockey team, Indian women’s cricket team, Murali Sreeshankar, etc. making a mark. Talking about long jumper Sreeshankar, the 23-year-old won silver with a jump of 8.08 metres. He, thus, became the first male long jumper from India to secure a silver medal at the Games.

Needless to say, Sreeshankar — hailing from a family with a rich history of sporting achievements — saw his stocks being on the rise. Recently, he opened up on his overall run in 2022, struggles en route to becoming an overnight star after CWG’22, idol Usain Bolt and more during an exclusive interaction with WION’s Aditya Sahay. Excerpts:

Sreeshankar hails Usain Bolt

“After growing up and watching Usain Bolt, I was really inspired. I was a big fan of him since 2007. I used to have his posters in my room. I was always inspired to be a sprinter like him. Fate had different plans for me (laughs) but I love and admire his consistency. I am really inspired by him.”

How has 2022 been for you?

It was pretty good. Fair share of ups and downs. I was consistently clocking over 8 metres in most of the competitions. A CWG medal and two World Championship finals was the icing to the cake. Hence, 2022 was very kind to me.

You were the only Indian male to reach the final of the Worlds. Although you ended seventh, what was the learnings and how did it set you up for CWG success?

I had a really good chance for a medal (at World Athletics 2022). In the finals, I made some small mistakes and paid the price. Still, I ended seventh and I believe everything is a stepping stone or a humble beginning for the major competitions to come. It made me realise that you can’t go out and win the medal every single time so it was a big learning curve to be able to compete with the big guys. It was a great overall.

You pointed out a very good thing. One definitely can’t win every competition. It is a mature stance. Did you learn after the setback in the Worlds?

No sir. Not exactly. I have been knowing the journey of many top athletes for quite some time. For example, I have been watching the current Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou (who secured his country Greece’s first medal in men’s long jump in Tokyo 2020). He is a good friend of mine. I have been talking to him, trying to pick his brain and monitoring his progress. He was ninth in one World C’ship, then seventh and then entered the final. Then, slowly and steadily he built from it. In 2022, he was the world indoor championship and in the world outdoor, he won silver. Hence, it is a gradual progress. Every athlete goes from one stage to another. For some athletes, it has been a sudden big jump. But for most, it is a step-by-step progress. What is most important is that every athlete needs to trust his, or her, process. Rest, everything will be taken care of.

It was a dramatic affair at CWG’22. How did you adjust to the conditions and what were the specific challenges faced?

Since I have been competiting in few international competitions, I don’t have so much struggle in adjusting to the weather. In CWG’22, I still had a tough time. I was in much better shape in the qualifers. In the final, I lost my rhythm and had to overcome a mindset issue. I don’t want to stress about 8.20-8.30 metres jump. I rather aim for 8-8.10 metre jump and win gold. So I was focussed on that. I got the silver medal with 8.08m so I am happy (smiles). 

You hold the national record of 8.36m but managed a best of 7.93m in this year’s National Games to lose gold to Jeswin Aldrin. What happened at the Games with the hamstring issue?

During the National Games, I was in a really good condition. I was hoping for a big jump. Unfortunately, I pulled my hamstring so wasn’t able to continue. I was hoping for a National record jump. But due to dehydration and some problems from the previous days, my body hadn’t recovered so I couldn’t continue from thereon and win big.

It is strange. On certain days, everything will click and you will surprise yourself. But on most, it is about managing that chaos at that time and trying to overcome it to return with a medal. 

Sreeshankar on journey of an athlete

“Every athlete goes from one stage to another. For some athletes, it has been a sudden big jump. But for most of them, it is a step-by-step process. What is most important is that every athlete needs to trust his, or her, process.”

How did you take up this as a profession? Anyone you look upto as an idol? 

I am coming from a sporting family. Getting into sports was a natural thing for me. My parents are international athletes (his father S. Murali is a former triple jump athlete and silver medalist at the South Asian Games. Sreeshankar’s mother K. S. Bijimol won silver in 800 metres at the 1992 Asian Junior Athletics Championships whereas his sister Sreeparvathy is a heptathlete) and most of my family members come from sports in some way or the other. Everything around me has been about sports only. After growing up and watching Usain Bolt, I was really inspired. I was a big fan of him since 2007. I used to have his posters in my room. I was always inspired to be a sprinter like him. Fate had different plans for me (laughs) but I still love and admire his consistency. The kind of athlete is he, he is unbelievable. I am really inspired by him.

Your father’s role in shaping your career? What are the small goals in-line for Paris 2024?

We do have big goals. He is coaching me and we are working very hard to remain in good shape to achieve some really big goals. Big realistic goals. Work is going in the right direction so I really hope everything will be much better and fall into place when Paris 2024 arrives.