Baranica Elangovan Claims India's First-Ever Asian Games Pole Vault Medal at Aichi-Nagoya 2026

Key facts

• Baranica Elangovan won bronze in the women's pole vault at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, giving India its first-ever medal in the event.
• The 29-year-old from Tamil Nadu cleared 4.15m and shared the bronze with Kazakhstan's Polina Ivanova, who also cleared 4.15m, after the two matched on countback.
• Japan's Misaki Morota won gold with 4.55m and China's Chunge Neu took silver with 4.50m.
• Baranica improved the national record twice in 2026, clearing 4.22m in March and 4.23m in May at Bhubaneswar; Sindhushree Ganesha later raised it to 4.25m in June.
• Baranica suffered an ACL injury in 2020 and joined the Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar in 2023.
• Her bronze took India's Asian Games medal tally to 23 — two gold, nine silver and 12 bronze.
• Her compatriot Sindhushree Ganesha exited the women's pole vault final without registering a mark.