Kuldeep Kumar Breaks National Record in Men's Pole Vault at Indian Indoor Championships

Record-Breaking Performance

Indian athlete Kuldeep Kumar achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new national record in the men's pole vault during the Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault 2026, which took place at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. The 21-year-old athlete cleared a height of 5.41 meters, surpassing the previous national record of 5.40 meters, as reported by Olympics.com.

Previous Record Holder

The former record was held by Dev Meena, who set it during the World University Games 2025 in Germany. Meena also matched this height at an athletics event in Chinese Taipei earlier this year. In this competition, Reegan G, who had previously set the indoor national record at 5.30 meters in March at the same venue, finished in second place with a jump of 5.25 meters, while Dev Meena secured third with a height of 5.20 meters. It's important to note that according to World Athletics, pole vault records do not distinguish between indoor and outdoor performances. However, Kuldeep Kumar's record is pending official approval from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

Emerging Rivalry

This event marked the third encounter this year between Kuldeep Kumar and the 20-year-old Dev Meena. In their first meeting earlier this year, Meena triumphed at the Indian Open Jumps Competition in Bengaluru, clearing 5.25 meters. Kumar matched this height, which was his personal best at the time, but lost on countback. In their second face-off at the Indian Open Athletics Series in Jaipur last month, Kumar managed to edge out Meena on countback after both cleared 5.25 meters.

Focus on Asian Games

During the competition on Saturday, Kumar attempted to clear 5.46 meters but was unsuccessful in all three attempts. The qualifying standard for the men's pole vault at the Asian Games 2026 is set at 5.45 meters.

U20 Men's Pole Vault Results

In the U20 men's pole vault event earlier on Saturday, Kavinraja S emerged victorious with a jump of 4.90 meters. He was followed by R Vishal, who cleared 4.70 meters, and Saurabh Yadav, who achieved a height of 4.20 meters.