Just months before the Summer Olympics in Paris, Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar’s 15-year dream of winning an Olympic medal was dashed by an injury. Srishankar’s patellar tendon rupture meant he needed major surgery. The 25-year-old had surgery in Doha, Qatar and is now back in training as he targets the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sportsstar spoke with the jumper about his recovery, the emotional impact of missing the Olympics, his daily training and more. extract:
Q: How is your knee now?
A: The knee is completely healed now. I have completed my recovery program. I started my sport-specific training last month. Things are going well.
What’s wrong with the knee? Can you elaborate a little bit more about your injury and what the initial days of dealing with it were like?
I had a ruptured patellar tendon, commonly known as “jumper’s knee.” I completely ruptured my patellar tendon and had to have major knee surgery. Honestly, this could be a career-ending injury because the patellar tendon is so important to me. The first few days after surgery are very challenging. I couldn’t move my legs at all and I couldn’t move without crutches or support. However, I ensured that my recovery and recovery regimen was carefully planned and developed in consultation with experts at Aspetar Hospital in Qatar.
Rehabilitation was initially managed by Inspire Sports Academy under the guidance of the sports science team led by my physical therapists, Dr. Priyam Singh and Dr. Samuel A. Pullinger. I then spent a brief four weeks in Aspetal Hospital to continue my recovery. This is particularly difficult for me because this type of injury is relatively rare. Most knee injuries are ligament related, but mine was tendon related and required surgical intervention.
There is not a lot of literature on this type of injury, so the rehab regimen and my recovery plan had to be customized based on how my body responded to training. I started sport-specific training about eight months ago and things have been going great since then.
What protections are there somewhere so you don’t put the same stress on your knees again?
I won’t go into the technical aspects of the injury in detail, but jumper’s knee is often caused by an overload issue. If the knee is overloaded with insufficient recovery time, the tendon will be placed under more load, leading to a tear. Therefore, properly managing the load, recovering adequately, and following a correct rehabilitation protocol are critical to long-term knee health.
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How do you stay motivated during this phase of recovery and recovery?
This journey has been quite taxing both mentally and physically, but I have had great support from some great people around me. I work closely with my sports psychologist and physiotherapist, who are dedicated and vigilant during my recovery. I also had a lot of support from friends and family to make sure I got back on track as quickly as possible.
In addition, several other friends encountered similar situations, and we encouraged and helped each other along the way. At IIS, the atmosphere is very good. All athletes support each other, creating a positive and encouraging environment. The training was enjoyable and even the recovery regimen was engaging. We focus on getting one percent better every day to get back in shape.
Thanks to this great support system, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything important.
How difficult is the post-surgery phase?
The physical pain was nothing compared to the mental stress as I was still digesting the fact that I would miss the Olympics. At the same time, I didn’t let my emotions overwhelm me. As I prepared for surgery, we had already started planning for recovery and everything that came next. Immediately after surgery, we planned our outlook for the next six to eight months. We create a roadmap and guidelines to follow, so once we achieve these stages we’re right back where we were.
“The physical pain was nothing compared to the mental stress because at that time I was still digesting the fact that I would miss the Olympics,” Srishankar said. |Image source: SUDHAKARA JAIN / THE HINDU
“The physical pain was nothing compared to the mental stress because at that time I was still digesting the fact that I would miss the Olympics,” Srishankar said. |Image source: SUDHAKARA JAIN / THE HINDU
You are a person with a strict schedule. Did the injury disrupt that?
It didn’t get disrupted; if anything, it got more rigorous because I was doing rehab three times a day after the injury. I had to walk from my dorm room to the High Performance Center, which took about 10 to 15 minutes because I was on crutches. I focus on strengthening the uninjured muscles around my knees to ensure they stay healthy. I also worked on my upper body since my lower body was immobile.
Every morning at 7am I make sure I finish my upper body workout and everything is on track. I follow a regular athlete’s diet and training regimen. Since I can’t go out, I don’t eat junk food or anything unhealthy. At this stage, I focus on making myself a better version of myself.
How did you cope mentally with missing the Olympics?
I was a commentator at the Olympic long jump events, watching the events and providing insights. It’s an unfortunate moment because it’s the day I’ve been working towards my whole life. At the same time, I also enjoyed the event. What is past is past; we must focus on what is future. We are already planning the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and I hope to achieve what I missed in Paris.
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Your love for Pallotta is well known. How did you control your food cravings during your recovery phase?
Obviously, I used to eat a lot of junk food…sugar, and everything before that. During my recovery phase, I couldn’t move from one place to another. I have cravings but I can’t indulge in them. Recovery is a very grueling process that requires discipline. I have to make sure my body is clean and healthy so it can respond well to training. My body is resilient because I take good care of it. When my body needs to recover from a serious injury, it responds positively because it’s healthy. That’s why I was able to recover ten percent of the time doctors and everyone predicted. I personally believe that once you become an elite level athlete, you have to maintain a disciplined lifestyle.
With your dad being so involved in your life as an athlete, what was his injury phase like? How do you support each other through difficult times?
He was not with me through the entire process and he was sad that he couldn’t be there. He watched me improve one percent a day—from using a cane, to walking with one, to walking without a cane, and then gradually walking faster, jogging, running, sprinting with ease. All these little things that we often overlook… I started to find success in these things, which made him very happy as well. We motivate each other every day to get back to better shape and hopefully by next month I can start jumping again. It’s a win-win situation for both of us.
When do you think you can return to competitive jumping?
I hope to be back in June or July. My immediate goal is the World Championships. I don’t expect anything big; I just want to be part of the Indian delegation as that will set the tone for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games as well.
