After missing a Commonwealth Games medal by just three centimetres in 2022, India’s national record holder returned to the podium in Glasgow. But for Praveen Chithravel, silver is not the destination — it is another step towards Olympic gold.
GLASGOW: Four years ago, Praveen Chithravel left the Commonwealth Games with one of the narrowest disappointments of his career. In Birmingham, he jumped 16.89m but finished fourth, missing the bronze medal by just 3cm.
In Glasgow, he finally changed that story.
The Indian triple jumper produced a 16.58m effort to win silver in the men’s triple jump at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Jamaica’s Jordan Scott took gold with 16.72m, while fellow Indian Selva Prabhu Thirumaran completed the podium with 16.52m.
For Chithravel, however, the medal was only one part of the story.
A medal four years in the making
Chithravel did not have the smoothest start to the Glasgow final. His first three attempts measured 16.05m, 15.64m and 16.31m, leaving him outside the top positions.
Then came the fourth round.
With pressure building, Chithravel produced his best jump of the competition — 16.58m — briefly moving into first place. Although Scott eventually reclaimed the lead, the jump was enough to secure Chithravel the silver.
The result also gave India a double podium in the event, with Selva Prabhu taking bronze.
From injury and rehabilitation to the Commonwealth podium
Chithravel’s recent journey has also involved rehabilitation and the challenge of rebuilding his body and confidence. The national record holder has had to manage the physical demands of triple jump while working towards returning to his best.
That makes the Glasgow performance particularly significant. His 16.58m was not his national record, but it delivered something he had been chasing since Birmingham: a Commonwealth Games medal.
Chithravel remains the Indian outdoor national record holder with a 17.37m effort, set in Havana in 2023. He also won bronze at the 2023 Asian Games with a 16.68m jump.
“Maybe at the Olympics, I’ll get a gold”
The silver in Glasgow has not changed Chithravel’s ambition. If anything, it has made the next target clearer.
After finally getting onto the Commonwealth podium, the Indian jumper has his eyes on the Asian Games and, ultimately, the Olympics.
The Glasgow result also showed that he still has considerable room to improve. The gold medal was just 14cm away, with Scott winning at 16.72m.
Chithravel has already experienced the Olympics, competing at the Paris 2024 Games, where he finished 27th in the qualification round.
His next challenge is therefore not simply to qualify for another Olympics, but to arrive there as a genuine medal contender.
The numbers that define Chithravel’s journey
CWG 2026: Silver — 16.58m
CWG 2022: 4th — 16.89m
Indian national record: 17.37m
Asian Games 2023: Bronze — 16.68m
Paris 2024 Olympics: 27th in qualification
CWG 2026 gold: Jordan Scott — 16.72m
CWG 2026 bronze: Selva Prabhu Thirumaran — 16.52m
Silver today, gold tomorrow
Chithravel’s Glasgow medal can be viewed as redemption for Birmingham, but reducing it to redemption would undersell the achievement.
He arrived with unfinished business, recovered from a difficult period and produced when it mattered. More importantly, he has shown that his ambition has moved beyond simply making finals or winning medals.
The 17.37m national record remains the benchmark. The Asian Games offer another opportunity to challenge for gold. And beyond that lies the biggest target of all: the Olympic podium.
For an athlete who once lost a Commonwealth medal by three centimetres, the message from Glasgow is simple — the gap is closing, and Chithravel is still chasing the biggest jump of his career.
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