Five standout Indian athletes in athletics at Asian Games 2026
India's athletics contingent produced multiple medal-winning performances at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, and this report profiles the five Indian athletes singled out as top performers at the event.
India finished sixth in the athletics medal table at the Asian Games 2026 with 24 medals (1 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze). Although India won fewer medals and golds than in the 2022 Games, several athletes rose to the occasion, breaking national records and setting personal bests; India had high hopes for its athletics contingent, and the team did not disappoint.
Tejaswin Shankar added to his list of firsts by claiming bronze in the decathlon in Aichi-Nagoya with 7,934 points. The 27-year-old had earlier become the first Indian athlete to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the decathlon and is the first Indian to win medals in two different athletics events at the CWG; he is also the first Indian to win two decathlon medals at the Asian Games.
With Neeraj Chopra ruled out due to injury, India’s javelin challenge rested on Yash Vir Singh and Rohit Yadav. Yash Vir, who also secured a bronze medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, produced a personal best of 85.72m to take silver at the Asian Games, while Rohit Yadav claimed bronze and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga won gold.
Ancy Sojan secured her second Asian Games silver with a 6.53m jump, reclaiming the lead on her second attempt before China’s Huang Yingying produced a 6.55m leap on her final attempt to take gold. The 25-year-old’s 6.53m was the best India could muster in a closely contested women’s long jump competition.
Gulveer Singh, described as India’s big hope in long-distance running, finished the Games with three medals: silver in the men’s 10,000m in 28:29.38, silver in the 1,500m in a personal best of 3:36.72, and bronze in the 5,000m in 13:32.75. Earlier this year he became the first Indian to win Commonwealth Games medals in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m.
Vithya Ramraj completed a full set of medals across colours, winning three medals at the Games. She combined with Kiran Pahal, Machettira Poovamma and Prachi Choudhary to win gold in the women’s 4x400m relay in 3:29.69, teamed with Manu TS, Machettira Poovamma and Vishal TK for silver in the mixed 4x400m relay, and took bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.75 seconds, breaking PT Usha’s 42-year-old national record.
India finished sixth in the athletics medal tally at the Asian Games 2026 with 24 medals (1 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze).
