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.
Murali Sreeshankar delivered another strong performance, recording 8.13m in the men’s long jump at the Indian Athletics Series-1 in Bengaluru.
His best jump came in the third attempt, making him the only Indian to cross the 8m mark in the competition.
With this effort, he also became one of the few Asian athletes to breach 8m in 2026.
Returning from injury last season, Sreeshankar has maintained consistency, having crossed the 8m mark in three out of six competitions in 2025.
Aadarsh Ram’s strong form in 2026 continued as he delivered a brilliant performance at the Indian Athletics Series – 1 in Bengaluru, winning the men’s high jump with a new personal best of 2.23m.
He looked confident and composed throughout the competition, clearing 2.23m with ease to finish comfortably in first place. This mark improved his previous personal best of 2.21m, which he had achieved last year at the Inter-State Athletics Championships, where he won the silver medal.
Aadarsh has been in excellent form this season. Earlier in 2026, he secured the first international medal of his career, winning bronze at the Asian Indoor Championships with a best jump of 2.19m.
Interestingly, Aadarsh was originally set to begin his outdoor season at the Indian Open Jumps competition. However, he had to skip the event due to rehabilitation. Speaking to NNIS Sports, he said, “I will not take part in the Indian Open Jumps as I am undergoing rehabilitation. I will open my outdoor season at the Indian Athletics Series 1 in Bengaluru.”
That decision clearly paid off, as he returned fresh and delivered his best-ever performance.
Meanwhile, World Championships 2025 finalist Sarvesh Kushare also showed signs of regaining form. He cleared a season-best 2.23m at the same competition, matching Aadarsh’s winning mark.
However, Kushare’s 2026 season has been a mixed one so far. He started the year by winning gold at the Indian Open Jumps in Bengaluru with a modest 2.16m. He then competed at the National Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he was surprisingly beaten by local athlete Swadhin Kumar, settling for silver with a jump of 2.15m.
After his impressive performances on the international stage last year, expectations were high from Kushare, but his season has not begun as strongly as anticipated.
Still, his 2.23m effort in Bengaluru is a positive sign and suggests that he is getting back to his best.
With Aadarsh Ram hitting new heights and Sarvesh Kushare finding rhythm again, Indian high jump looks set for an exciting season ahead.
Reagan Ganesh continued his strong start to the season with another personal best, clearing 5.35m at the Indian Series-1.
This comes after his previous PB of 5.30m at the National Indoor Championships, marking back-to-back improvements in two competitions.
With this performance, he moves to second on India’s all-time list, behind Dev Meena (5.40m).
Ganesh also attempted 5.41m, the national record mark, but was unsuccessful.
His early-season form shows consistent progression, with two competitions resulting in two personal bests.
India’s top long jumper Murali Sreeshankar is set to begin his 2026 season at the Indian Athletics Series 1 in Bengaluru on April 4.
After making a comeback from injury last year, Sreeshankar showed impressive consistency, crossing the 8-meter mark in three out of six competitions.
His standout performances included jumps of 8.05 meters at the Open Athletics Meet, 8.13 meters at the World Continental Tour, and 8.06 meters at the Inter-State Championships.
These results not only highlighted his return to form but also secured his qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo.
As he opens his new season, expectations will be high for Sreeshankar to build on that momentum and push towards even bigger marks.
