Now Reading: Praveen Chithravel eyes Olympic gold after CWG silver, recovery on track
-
01
Praveen Chithravel eyes Olympic gold after CWG silver, recovery on track
Indian triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, who won silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, has resumed training after being sidelined by a blood clot in his right calf. The 25-year-old national record holder…
Indian triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, who won silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, has resumed training after being sidelined by a blood clot in his right calf. The 25-year-old national record holder is aiming to be fit for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games next month. He suffered a cramp during a take-off around August 10 during a training camp in the Czech Republic, and was later diagnosed with a blood clot.
After 10 days of rest, Chithravel started jogging and easy sessions from Monday. He is not fixated on a medal colour at the Asiad, saying he would be happy with a jump of 17.50m even if he finishes fourth. Chithravel, who won bronze at the last Asian Games despite a quadriceps issue, said his CWG silver was four years in the making after missing a medal by two centimetres at Birmingham 2022.
He has taken on a mentor's role for CWG bronze medallist Selva Prabhu and hopes to keep India's triple jump medals flowing, aiming to compete at the 2030 CWG in India as well. Chithravel remarked that his CWG performance felt like gold, and added, 'Maybe at the Olympics, I'll get the gold.'
Indian Opinion Analysis
Chithravel's confidence stems from his 17.37m national record in May 2023, a mark that would have won bronze at the Paris Olympics. At 25, he has at least two more Olympic cycles ahead. The blood clot is a serious setback, but a month of rehab before the Asiad is tight. The real test will be whether he can regain explosive take-off power without aggravating the injury. If he clears 17.50m at the Asiad, he will become only the second Indian after Murali Sreeshankar to breach that mark in a major championship. The next milestone is the Asian Games selection trial, likely in mid-September.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
