Baranica Elangovan Wins Historic Asian Games Pole Vault Medal

Baranica Elangovan won the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 25 September 2026. She cleared 4.15 metres and shared the bronze medal with Polina Ivanova of Kazakhstan, who also cleared 4.15 metres with an identical countback record. This was India’s first-ever medal in the pole vault event at the Asian Games in both the men’s and women’s categories.

Asian Games and Pole Vault

The Asian Games are a continental multi-sport event for athletes from Asia and are organised by the Olympic Council of Asia. Pole vault is a track and field event in which athletes use a flexible pole to clear a horizontal bar placed at increasing heights.

Baranica Elangovan’s Record Progression

Elangovan broke the Indian national record twice in 2026 before the Asian Games. She cleared 4.22 metres in March 2026 and improved it to 4.23 metres in May 2026.

Important Facts for Exams

• Japan’s Misaki Morota won the gold medal with a clearance of 4.55 metres at the same event.
• China’s Chunge Niu won the silver medal with a clearance of 4.50 metres.
• Elangovan recovered from an ACL injury in 2020 before returning to competition.
• She trained at the Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre before the Asian Games.

Equipment and Event Logistics

Pole vault athletes use personal poles that are selected according to grip, stiffness, and athlete preference. Elangovan’s coach, Milber Bertrand Russell, arranged timely intervention with Japan Airlines to transport her poles to Nagoya for the competition.