India’s Baranica Elangovan scriped history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya , becoming the first Indian pole vaulter to win a medal.
The 29-year-old Tamil Nadu athlete produced a best clearance of 4.15m in the women’s pole vault final at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya to secure the bronze medal. Baranica shared the bronze with Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova, who also cleared 4.15m. The two athletes had identical performances in the final, resulting in a shared third-place finish.
Japan’s Misaki Morota claimed the gold medal after clearing a personal best of 4.55m, while China’s Niu Chunge won silver with a clearance of 4.50m.
Baranica Elangovan makes Asian Games history
Baranica’s bronze marks a major milestone for Indian athletics as she became the first Indian male or female pole vaulter to stand on the Asian Games podium.
She started the final strongly, clearing 3.85m and 4.00m on her first attempts. The Indian athlete faced her first setback at 4.15m after failing with her opening attempt.
However, she responded immediately and cleared 4.15m with her second attempt. That clearance eventually proved enough to put her in medal contention.
Baranica subsequently raised the bar to 4.25m in an attempt to improve her position. She was unable to clear the height in all three attempts, bringing her competition to an end at 4.15m.
Her clearance, combined with the countback, earned her a share of the bronze medal and a place in Indian Asian Games history.
Baranica’s journey to the Asian Games podium
Baranica’s historic medal comes after a career that has included significant challenges and a strong comeback.
The Tamil Nadu-born athlete suffered an ACL injury in 2020, a setback that threatened to disrupt her career. She eventually returned to competition and continued her pursuit of success in pole vault.
Her 2026 season has been particularly notable. In March, Baranica became the first indoor National champion in the women’s pole vault and set an Indian national record of 4.22m at the National Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
She improved that mark again in May, clearing 4.23m at the Indian Indoor Open combined events and pole vault competition in Bhubaneswar.The athlete also won gold medals at the Indian Open Athletics Series in Chennai and the 29th National Senior Athletics Competition in Ranchi. She cleared 4.10m in both competitions.
Baranica has been training under coach Milber Bertrand Russel and at the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre.
Sindhushree Ganesha finishes without a valid mark
India had two athletes in the women’s pole vault final, with Sindhushree Ganesha also competing for a place on the podium.
However, Sindhushree was unable to register a valid mark in the final and finished joint bottom of the standings. Baranica, meanwhile, held her position in the medal places after clearing 4.15m and went on to secure India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in pole vault.
Another athletics medal for India
Baranica’s historic bronze adds to India’s medal haul in athletics at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her achievement is particularly significant for Indian pole vault, with no Indian athlete having previously won an Asian Games medal in the event. At 29, Baranica has now reached a major milestone in her career after overcoming injury and building a strong run of performances during the 2026 season.
Her 4.15m clearance in Nagoya has ensured her place in the history of Indian athletics, as she became the country’s first pole vaulter to win an Asian Games medal.
