Dev Meena, Kuldeep Kumar set national pole vault record

Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar set a joint men’s national pole vault record of 5.45 metres on 24 May 2026 at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi. The mark was achieved during the Federation Cup 2026, where the national record was broken twice in quick succession.

Men’s pole vault record in India

The previous Indian men’s pole vault record stood at 5.41 metres and belonged to Kuldeep Kumar before the Ranchi competition. Dev Meena first improved the record to 5.42 metres, and Kuldeep Kumar later cleared 5.45 metres to regain the record.

Countback and medal positions

Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar both cleared 5.45 metres, and Dev Meena won the gold medal on countback. Kuldeep Kumar finished with the silver medal after the same height was recorded by both athletes.

Qualification standards and earlier record

Both athletes met the qualification mark for the 2026 Asian Games with their 5.45-metre clearance. Their performance also exceeded the Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 5.25 metres for the 2026 edition. On 2 May 2026, Kuldeep Kumar set a national record of 5.41 metres at the 1st Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault competition in Bhubaneswar. He had earlier surpassed Dev Meena’s 5.40-metre mark at that event.

Important Facts for Exams

• Pole vault is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a flexible pole to clear a horizontal bar.
• The men’s pole vault national record in India was 5.45 metres after the Ranchi competition on 24 May 2026.
• Countback is a tie-breaking method in athletics based on the number of attempts at each height.
• Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar train together in Madhya Pradesh under coach Ghanshyam Yadav.