Praveen Chithravel: Indian triple jumper's rise to Paris Olympics

After missing the Olympic qualification mark by a mere 0.10m in the 2024 Indian Grand Prix-1 in Bengaluru, Praveen Chithravel directly qualified for the Paris Olympics via his world rankings position. He’s currently ranked 21st in the world.

Rising from poverty

Praveen Chithravel, born on June 5, 2001, in a small village in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, displayed a passion for sports from a young age. Despite significant financial challenges, with his father working as a daily wage farm laborer and his mother managing household chores, Praveen's athletic talent emerged during his school years.

At eleven, Praveen's athletic journey took a significant turn at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Boys in Chennai, where he caught the eye of Indira Suresh, an athletics coach. Indira took Praveen under her wing, and he followed her to a college in Nagercoil when she was transferred, insisting on training only under her guidance.

Despite financial strain and limited resources, Praveen's dedication paid off when he won a gold medal at the inaugural Khelo India School Games, marking the beginning of his promising career.

Rise to the Top

Praveen Chithravel's dedication paid off when he won a silver medal at the Junior National Championships in Coimbatore.

His coach, Indira Suresh, who had relocated to a college in Nagercoil, continued to train him, recognizing his potential for international competitions such as the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and the Olympics.

In October 2018, Praveen clinched a bronze medal in the men’s triple jump at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, becoming the second Indian to win an athletics medal at the Youth Olympics. His combined effort of 31.52 meters, with jumps of 15.84 meters in Stage 1 and 15.68 meters in Stage 2, secured his place on the podium. This success was the result of consistent performance and rigorous training.

Praveen was then scouted by the Inspire Institute of Sports, where he trained with modern facilities and international coaches, receiving financial assistance. He joined the Indian Institute of Sport (IIS) in early 2019 and trained diligently, rarely returning home.

His consistent improvement culminated in a jump of 16.88 meters at the National Open Championships in Warangal in 2021, where he emerged victorious. He continued his progress with a 16.84-meter jump at the Federation Cup.

Praveen's defining moment came at the 61st Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Chennai, where he surpassed the 17-meter mark in the triple jump with an impressive 17.18-meter jump, exceeding the World Championship qualification mark of 17.17 meters.

Next, Praveen eyed a podium finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. When asked about his plans, he quoted his favorite actor Kamal Haasan, saying, "Pathukalam da" (we’ll see as it comes), reflecting his grounded and focused mindset.

Overcoming setbacks

It could have been an all-Indian podium finish at the Birmingham Games, as Praveen missed a Commonwealth bronze by just three centimeters with a jump of 16.89m. A fourth-place finish can be disheartening for an athlete.

For India’s triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, narrowly missing the podium at the 2022 Commonwealth Games was no different. Despite the disappointment, 21-year-old Praveen found solace in a message from his idol, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.

“Neeraj Chopra messaged me on Instagram after I narrowly missed out on the medal at the Commonwealth Games,” Praveen told Olympics.com. “He is such a great role model and an inspiration for so many. He congratulated me for my consistency and asked me not to lose heart, motivating me by saying that I have the potential to do well at the Asian Games and the world championships in 2023.”

Neeraj's words proved invaluable for Praveen, who won a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Championships in his first major tournament of 2023, breaking the national indoor record with a 16.98m effort.

Praveen now aimed to break the outdoor national record of 17.30m set by Renjith Maheswary in 2016, which he finally broke with a new national record with a 17.37m jump at the Prueba de Confrontacion 2023 Meet in Cuba.

The 23-year-old young gun then won the bronze medal in the men's triple jump at the 2022 Asian Games with a jump of 16.68 meters. But since then, Praveen has had only two 17-meter-plus jumps. However, he’s peaking at the right time, with jumps of 17.12m at the Indian Grand Prix-1 in Bengaluru and 16.98m at the 63rd Inters States Athletics Championship in Panchkula.

With his eyes set on the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond, Praveen continues to push the boundaries of his sport, inspiring future generations of Indian athletes to dream big and work hard.