The 2026 season has started with consistent performances in men’s pole vault across multiple competitions in India and abroad.

At the Indian Athletics Series – 2 held in Jaipur, Dev Meena cleared 5.25m on his first attempt. He later tried 5.35m but could not clear the height and finished second in the competition.

Kuldeep Kumar also cleared 5.25m to take the top position, while Avneesh Kumar finished third with a clearance of 5.00m. This marked the third time in his career that Avneesh has crossed the 5m mark.

Earlier in the season, Dev Meena had opened his campaign at the Indian Open Jumps with a clearance of 5.25m. After that, the bar was raised to 5.35m, where attempts were unsuccessful.

In another major competition, Dev Meena cleared 5.40m at the Nantou Sun Moon Lake International Pole Vault Invitational in Taiwan, equalling the national record. He also attempted 5.50m but was unable to clear it. This was his second competition of the season.

Kuldeep Kumar has shown steady progress this year. He achieved a personal best of 5.25m at the Indian Open Jumps in Bengaluru and has maintained similar performances in consecutive competitions. In the previous season, he had crossed 5.00m in four competitions.

Another notable performance this season came from Reegan Ganesh, who cleared 5.35m at the Indian Athletics Series – 1, becoming one of the top performers in Indian pole vault history.

Compared to previous seasons, where there was a clear gap at the national level, the 2026 season has seen multiple athletes producing similar results around the 5.25m–5.40m range. This has increased competition within the field.

The qualification mark for the Asian Games 2026 stands at 5.45m. So far, no Indian male pole vaulter has achieved this mark. However, multiple athletes have already crossed the Commonwealth Games standard this season.

Selections for upcoming major events will be decided through key domestic competitions. The Federation Cup will determine qualification for the Commonwealth Games, while the Inter-State Championships will play a role in Asian Games selection.

Looking at recent results, consistent performances above 5.00m have become more frequent. The focus now shifts towards achieving higher clearances in the coming months as athletes aim to reach the 5.45m qualification standard.