Jeswin Aldrin, the national record holder in long jump, secured a spot in the finals of his maiden World Athletics Championships. Aldrin had gained attention earlier for his remarkable 8.42m national record leap, which made him the season’s leading contender. In the qualification round, Aldrin managed to clear the 8.0m mark in his first attempt. Despite fouling his next two jumps, his performance proved adequate to secure him a place among the 12 finalists scheduled to compete on Thursday. On the other hand, Murali Sreeshankar faced an unexpected exit with a lackluster performance in the qualification round. Sreeshankar had been more consistent than Aldrin throughout the season, frequently crossing the 8m mark. However, his series of jumps in the qualification round fell short, leading to his 22nd overall rank and a disappointing 12th place finish in Group A. Sreeshankar’s exit added to the disappointment of the Indian camp, which had already suffered from Avinash Sable’s failure to make it to the finals. Aldrin and Sreeshankar entered the World Championships as the top-ranked long jumpers in the season leaders’ list. Aldrin, struggling to reach the 8m mark after his earlier big jump and facing fitness issues, had his most recent victory at the CITIUS Meeting in Bern, Switzerland with a jump of 8.22m. This is Aldrin’s second appearance at the World Championships, while Sreeshankar had finished seventh in the previous edition. Aldrin will now look to capitalize on his spot in the finals and aim for a strong performance.