National record holder Praveen Chithravel and Selva Prabhu booked their places in the men’s triple jump final at the Commonwealth Games 2026 after finishing second and third respectively in Thursday’s qualification round.
Chithravel produced a jump of 16.41m in his first and only attempt to secure second spot, while Prabhu recovered from two fouls to land 16.26m with his final effort and move into third. The final is scheduled for Saturday, with the top 12 performers from qualification progressing.
How the triple jump qualification unfolded
Chithravel made an immediate impact with 16.41m in his opening jump, a mark that ultimately held up for second place in the qualification standings. With conditions described as cold and windy, and with none of the 14 competitors able to clear the automatic qualification standard of 16.60m, Chithravel opted not to take his second and third attempts after his first-round effort put him in a strong position.
The report noted that Chithravel’s national record stands at 17.37m and his season best is 17.08m, underlining the level he has shown previously even though the automatic mark was not reached by anyone in this round.
Prabhu’s route to qualification was more tense. He fouled his first two attempts, leaving him with one remaining jump to stay in contention for a top-12 spot. In his third and final effort, he delivered 16.26m, which lifted him to third place and ensured his progression to Saturday’s final.
Jordan Scott of Jamaica topped the qualification round. Despite having a season best of 17.69m, Scott’s best in qualification came in the second round, where he jumped 16.56m to finish first on the day.
With the automatic qualifying distance untouched, the final field was determined by the best marks recorded, with the top 12 advancing. For Chithravel and Prabhu, Thursday’s results mean both will have a shot at medals when the men’s triple jump final is held on Saturday.
Qualification details at a glance
Chithravel: 16.41m (first attempt only), finished second.
Prabhu: fouled first two attempts, then 16.26m on final attempt, finished third.
Jordan Scott (Jamaica): 16.56m in second round, finished first.
Automatic qualification mark: 16.60m (not achieved by any of the 14 competitors).
Final qualification rule: top 12 performers advance to Saturday’s final.
Vishal TK misses men’s 400m final
In other action, national record holder Vishal TK did not qualify for the men’s 400m final at CWG 2026. Vishal finished sixth in his semifinal heat, clocking 46.33 seconds.
The qualification criteria for the final were the first two runners in each of the three heats, plus the next two fastest overall. Vishal’s time was not enough to place him among those advancing.
Vishal had set a national record of 44.98 seconds at the Federation Cup in May, but the report described his semifinal performance at the Commonwealth Games as below par compared to that benchmark.
