Ancy Sojan Shatters Anju Bobby George's Long Jump Record

Historic Achievement by Ancy Sojan

In a remarkable feat, long jumper Ancy Sojan has made history by surpassing Anju Bobby George's long-standing record of 22 years. Sojan achieved a remarkable jump of 6.88 meters during the National Inter-State Athletics Championships held in Bhubaneshwar on June 27, breaking Anju's previous record of 6.83 meters. Following this historic jump, Anju expressed her anticipation that either Sojan or Shaili Singh would break her record at upcoming major events like the Commonwealth Games or the Asian Games. Anju, who held the record for over two decades, stated, “I expected either Shaili or Ancy to break my record, especially during the Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, where athletes typically excel. Since 2021, I had high hopes for Shaili's performance on the international stage, and finally, Ancy has achieved this milestone. Records are made to be broken, and I believe Shaili will soon come close or even surpass it.” She added, “Twenty-two years is a long time, and it’s great to see new talent emerge. I’ve known Ancy since her early days, and it’s interesting to see jumpers predominantly coming from Kerala.”

Anju Bobby George's Olympic Record

Anju Bobby George's Olympic Achievement

Anju Bobby George set her record jump of 6.83 meters during the long jump final at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She also recorded three additional jumps measuring 6.75m, 6.68m, and 6.61m. Although her best jump did not secure a medal, Anju made history with her performance. The gold, silver, and bronze medals were claimed by Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva, Irina Simagina, and Tatyana Kotova, with jumps of 7.07m, 7.05m, and 7.05m, respectively. Anju's accolades include gold medals from the 2002 Asian Games, the 2005 Asian Championships, the 2005 World Athletics Final, and the 2006 South Asian Games, along with a bronze medal from the 2002 Commonwealth Games.