Background
Niharika Vashisht was born in Mohali, Punjab, on October 17, 1995, and came into athletics through long jump before moving to the triple jump. She studied at Panjab University. Vashisht has represented India internationally and has developed into one of the country’s leading triple jumpers. Her current personal best is 13.64m, recorded in 2026. She has also spoken publicly about balancing elite athletics with work and building a social-media career to help fund her training.
Breakthrough and records
Her breakthrough came at the 28th National Federation Senior Athletics Championships in Kochi in 2025, where she jumped 13.49m in the triple jump — winning gold and establishing herself as one of India’s leading women’s triple jumpers. She also won gold at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi in 2026, where she jumped 13.64m — her personal best and the Asian Games qualifying mark. The performance represented a significant improvement over her previous best and strengthened her position in India’s senior triple-jump group.
Current season
The 2026 season brought a 13.64m victory in the triple jump at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi. The mark remains her season and personal best, with the performance also securing the Asian Games qualification standard. She has continued competing domestically while preparing for her international campaign. The experienced jumper is now set to contest the women’s triple jump at the Asian Games in September.
In their own words
“I tried very hard today. But I guess it just wasn't good enough.” — Niharika Vashisht, speaking to NNIS Sports, April 2025, after winning gold in the women’s triple jump at the Federation Cup with a lifetime best of 13.49m. It was her third consecutive personal best of the season, following 13.37m at the National Games and 13.43m at the Open Athletics.
