Record-Breaking Performances Shine at National Athletics Championships

Historic Achievements at the Championships

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 25: At the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships held in Bhubaneswar, hammer thrower Anushka Yadav and pole vaulter Dev Meena made headlines by setting new national records.

Dev Meena, representing Madhya Pradesh, surpassed his previous pole vault record by clearing an impressive height of 5.46m. Meanwhile, Anushka Yadav from Uttar Pradesh achieved a remarkable hammer throw of 67.02m, both securing their spots for the Asian Games 2026, marking a significant day for Indian athletics at Kalinga Stadium.

Jyothi Yarraji also showcased her talent by winning gold in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 12.99 seconds, demonstrating her strong return from injury and meeting the Asian Games qualification standard.

Meena's performance not only broke his own record but also exceeded the Asian Games qualification mark of 5.45m set for Japan. He expressed his excitement about improving his national record ahead of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

“The competition was tough, but I’m thrilled to have elevated my profile,” Meena stated.

In the pole vault event, the top three competitors surpassed the previous meet record of 5.20m established by M Gowtham in 2025.

At the throwing arena, 18-year-old Anushka Yadav captivated the audience by breaking both the national and meet records. Her winning throw of 67.02m surpassed the previous national record of 65.25m set by Sarita A Singh in 2017.

“I’m grateful to my family for their support, especially since I was recovering from an injury earlier this year,” Anushka expressed joyfully about her achievement.

She added, “I can’t describe how happy I am to secure a place at the Japan Asian Games.”

Jyothi Yarraji, the Asian Games silver medalist and national record holder in the women's 100m hurdles, shared her emotional journey back to competition after a year-long injury recovery. “It’s ironic that I got injured on June 24 last year, and now, after 12 months of rehabilitation, I’m back with a sub-13 seconds performance,” she remarked.

Yarraji not only met but exceeded the Asian Games qualification mark of 13.34 seconds during the heats, finishing with a gold medal time of 12.99 seconds.

Nandhini K from Tamil Nadu secured silver with a time of 13.22 seconds, also qualifying for the Asian Games.

In the triple jump, Tamil Nadu's Lasha Ilango clinched gold with a leap of 13.89m, breaking the meet record and surpassing the Asian Games qualification mark of 13.34m.

Earlier in the day, star distance runner Gulveer Singh won the men's 5,000m race comfortably. In the men's 800m heats, over ten athletes surpassed the Asian Games qualification time of 1:48.80 seconds.

Results:

Men: 5,000m (Asian Games Qualification Time 13:39.18 secs): Gulveer Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 13:52.92 secs, Abhishek Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 13:54.18 secs, Harmanjot Singh (Punjab) 13:54.60 secs.

Pole vault (AG Q Mark 5.45m): Dev Meena (Madhya Pradesh) 5.46m (NR improves his own national record 5.45m), Reegan G (Tamil Nadu) 5.30m, Kuldeep Kumar (Madhya Pradesh) 5.20m.

Women:

5,000m (AG Q Time 15:36.58 secs): Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 16:11.04 secs, Bharti (Haryana) 16:17.10 secs, Ravina Gayakwad (Maharashtra) 16:32.92 secs.

Triple jump (AG Q Mark 13:34m): Lasha Ilango (Tamil Nadu) 13.89m, Niharika Vashisht (Punjab) 13.22m, Mallala Anusha (Andhra Pradesh) 13.13m.

100m hurdles (AG Q Time 13.34 secs): Jyothi Yarraji (Andhra Pradesh) 12.99 seconds, Nandhini K (Tamil Nadu) 13.22 secs, Pragyan P Sahu (Odisha) 13.48 secs.

Hammer Throw (AG Q Mark 61.72m): Anushka Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 67.02m, Tanya Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) 61.70m, Harshita Sehrawat (Delhi) 60.92m.