Baranica Elangovan takes bronze in women’s pole vault at Asian Games 2026

India’s Baranica Elangovan won the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday, September 25, at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. The Tamil Nadu athlete secured third place with a clearance of 4.15m.

Japan’s Misaki Morota claimed gold with a personal-best 4.55m and China’s Chunge Niu took silver with 4.50m. Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova shared the bronze with Elangovan; both cleared 4.15m and failed in subsequent attempts at 4.25m.

Elangovan, 29, became the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal in the women’s pole vault with her podium finish in Nagoya. She entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games regarded as one of India’s stronger medal prospects in athletics.

Earlier in the season Elangovan held the national record, first setting 4.22m in March and then improving it to 4.23m in May. That record was surpassed by G Sindhushree, who cleared 4.25m in June.

On the domestic circuit Elangovan added gold medals to her season tally, winning the Indian Open Athletics Series in Chennai and the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi, clearing 4.10m at both meets. Those victories formed part of her build-up to the Asian Games.

She had narrowly missed selection for the Hangzhou 2022 athletics contingent and recorded her first Asian Games medal with this performance in Japan. The podium finish completes a season that included national records, domestic titles and now an Asiad medal.

Elangovan’s bronze is India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the women’s pole vault and counted as India’s fifth athletics medal at the Asian Games 2026.