Jeswin Aldrin, the Indian national record holder in long jump, recorded his fourth best performance, leaping a distance of 8.22m to win gold at the Citus Meeting in Bern, Switzerland on Friday.
The 21-year-old has been plagued with injury and fitness concerns for the last four months. He withdrew from the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Lausanne Diamond League, both in July, due to these concerns.
Currently, Aldrin leads the 2023 season board with a best jump of 8.42m recorded during the National Open Jumps Competition in Bellary, Karnataka in March.
This was Aldrin’s first competitive event since the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in June where he won silver for Tamil Nadu with a best jump of 7.98m.
Aldrin began strongly, recording the jump of 8.22m in his first attempt itself, also setting a new meet record. He only then attempted the next three jumps – 8.17m and 8.14m in his second and fourth jumps while fouling his third attempt.
He forfeited his last two attempts, finishing with 8.22m as his best effort and securing the gold medal.
Cuba’s Alejandro Parada finished second with a best effort of 8.08m, achieving this in his second jump and forfeiting the next four attempts.
Local hero Simon Ehammer, a World Championships bronze medallist, finished third with a best jump of 8.03m, recorded in his third attempt.
Next up for Aldrin will be the World Athletics Championships, scheduled to be hosted in Budapest, Hungary between August 19-27.
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