India will have two representatives in the men’s long jump final at the World Athletics U20 Championships after Shahnavaz Khan and Jithin Arjuna both secured their places among the top 12 qualifiers.
Shahnavaz produced the more comfortable qualification, finishing 5th overall with a best jump of 7.73m. He saved his best for his third and final attempt, moving into a qualifying position after opening with 7.51m and fouling his second jump.
The 7.73m effort placed Shahnavaz 4th in his qualification group and safely inside the top 12 overall.
Jithin, meanwhile, had to wait until the very end of qualification to secure his place. After recording identical jumps of 7.43m in his first two attempts, he delivered a crucial 7.57m on his final attempt.
That effort initially left him 6th in his group and 11th overall, but his qualification depended on the remaining athletes in the other group. Once all attempts were completed, Jithin held on to 12th place overall, taking the final qualifying spot.
The automatic qualification mark was 7.75m, but with fewer than 12 athletes reaching that distance, the remaining places were decided on the basis of the best overall performances.
Italy’s Daniele Inzoli was the standout performer in qualification and the only athlete across both groups to break the eight-metre barrier. He topped the standings with an impressive 8.15m.