New Delhi, April 26 -- Two years is a long time in elite sport, and nothing exemplifies it better than the dwindling fortunes of India's men's long jump. When Jeswin Aldrin leapt 8.42 metres in March 2023 at the AFI National Jumps Competition in Vijayanagar, not only did he break the then national record but also presented India with a rare, tantalising prospect of two elite jumpers pushing each other to meet world standards. Too bad it ended up being a bit of a false dawn.
Aldrin's duel with Murali Sreeshankar was great while it lasted. The Kerala jumper held the previous national mark of 8.36m - achieved at the 2022 Federation Cup in Kozhikode - even though Aldrin, who hails from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, had logged 8.37m at the same even...