The Tamil Nadu jumper completed a long jump–triple jump double at the Junior Nationals in Chennai, adding to an impressive season that has already brought her an Asian U20 silver medal.
Sadhana Ravi came into the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai as one of Tamil Nadu’s most promising young jumpers. She left with two gold medals, a significant personal best and further evidence that her performances are beginning to make an impact beyond junior athletics.
The 18-year-old completed a rare horizontal jumps double, winning the women’s U20 long jump with 5.93m before producing a lifetime best of 13.22m to capture the triple jump title.
Her triple jump performance was particularly impressive. Sadhana improved her previous best of 13.08m by 14 centimetres, finishing almost a metre ahead of teammate Shrihanisha P, who took silver with 12.28m. Gujarat’s Hemanshi Parmar claimed bronze with 12.15m.
The 13.22m mark also placed Sadhana seventh among India’s senior women triple jumpers in the 2026 season, an encouraging achievement for an athlete still competing in the U20 category.
From National Junior Champion to Asian U20 Silver Medallist
In 2025, she won the U18 national long jump title in Bhubaneswar with 5.94m, which remains her personal best in the event. She also won triple jump gold at the Junior Federation Championships in Prayagraj with a clearance of 12.75m.
Her progress continued in 2026 when she opened the season with a triple jump personal best of 13.08m at the Indian Open Jumps Competition in Bengaluru.
She subsequently won triple jump gold at the National U20 Federation competition, producing 12.97m, while also collecting silver in the long jump.
But perhaps her most significant achievement before Chennai came at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships, where she won silver in the triple jump with 12.84m.
That international medal demonstrated her ability to compete beyond the domestic junior circuit and provided valuable experience against some of Asia’s leading young jumpers.
Sadhana is also pursuing her education at SRM Institute of Science and Technology’s Vadapalani campus in Chennai, balancing academic commitments with the demands of competitive athletics.
The Challenge of Competing in Two Jumping Events
Competing successfully in both the long jump and triple jump requires more than simply being a powerful jumper.
Although both events depend on runway speed, take-off mechanics and explosive strength, the triple jump places considerably greater demands on an athlete’s ability to control the hop, step and jump phases while maintaining balance and momentum.
It also subjects the lower limbs to substantial impact forces.
For a young athlete developing across both disciplines, managing training loads and recovery is particularly important.
Sadhana’s performances suggest encouraging progress, especially in the triple jump, where she has improved from 12.75m in 2025 to 13.22m in 2026.
That progression will become increasingly significant as she moves towards senior competition.
What Lies Ahead for Sadhana Ravi?
While a 13.22m triple jump is impressive at the junior level, the standards required to compete in major senior international championships are considerably higher.
The challenge will be to build on her technical development, improve consistency and remain healthy as training intensity increases.
Her Asian U20 medal and national double provide a strong foundation, but her progression into senior athletics will require patience and carefully structured support.
At just 17, the Coimbatore youngster has rewritten the U18 national records in both the 100m and 200m. His remarkable progress makes him one of India’s most exciting sprint prospects.
Neil Samraj R arrived at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai with the Indian U18 100m record. By the time he left, he had lowered that record, added the 200m national record and completed a remarkable sprint double.
The 17-year-old from Coimbatore clocked 10.45 seconds in the 100m and 21.03 seconds in the 200m. He won both titles with times faster than the respective gold-medal-winning performances in the U20 categories.
India has long struggled to produce sprinters capable of challenging the world’s best. Therefore, these performances offer encouraging signs. More importantly, Neil continues to improve across competitions. His breakthrough appears to reflect sustained progress rather than one exceptional race.
Neil Samraj R’s Record-Breaking Sprint Journey
Only weeks earlier, Neil competed at the National Youth Athletics Championships in Ludhiana. There, he broke the U18 100m national record twice in one day.
He clocked 10.53 seconds in the semifinals before improving to 10.46 seconds in the final. The victory earned him gold and established him as India’s fastest youth sprinter over the distance.
Even that performance did not entirely satisfy him. Neil wanted to break the 10.40-second barrier before the season ended. His ambition reflects the mindset driving his rapid progress.
Chennai offered another opportunity to test himself. Neil topped the three 100m semifinals with 10.51 seconds. He then returned for the final and shaved another hundredth of a second off his record.
His 10.45-second performance came against a slight headwind of minus 0.2 metres per second. This made the achievement particularly noteworthy. Sprinters often benefit from favourable winds when chasing fast times. However, Neil improved his record without that assistance.
In the 200m, he was equally impressive. He clocked 21.03 seconds to break Abhay Singh’s previous U18 national record of 21.08 seconds. He also improved the championship meet record of 21.28 seconds. His performances earned him the best athlete award in the men’s U18 category.
What Makes Neil’s Sprint Double Special?
Delivering fast times across both sprint distances is significant. The 100m demands explosive acceleration and maximum velocity. Meanwhile, the 200m requires athletes to maintain speed around the bend and through the closing stages.
Neil’s performances suggest encouraging development in both areas. His ability to excel across these distances highlights his growing potential as a sprinter.
A Journey That Began in Coimbatore
Behind the impressive times is a young athlete whose sporting journey began with encouragement at home and school.
Neil’s mother, Selvarasi, is a government school teacher. She encouraged him to pursue sprinting seriously while he was studying in Class 9.
His physical education teacher also recognised his natural ability over the 100m and 200m. This support helped nurture a talent that would eventually emerge on the national stage.
His journey highlights the importance of early encouragement. In India, promising athletes often emerge through school competitions. However, they do not always receive the support needed to progress.
From junior world championship medals to European 1500m gold, Ciara Mageean built one of Ireland’s finest middle-distance careers, overcoming injuries and setbacks before reaching the pinnacle of European athletics.
Irish middle-distance running star Ciara Mageean, the reigning European 1500m champion and a two-time Olympian, died on Sunday, November 1, aged 34, following a battle with stage-four bowel cancer.
Mageean, who represented Ireland at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was among the country’s most accomplished track athletes. She held Irish national records across four distances — 800m, 1000m, 1500m and the mile — and had established herself as one of Europe’s leading middle-distance runners.
Her greatest triumph came at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, where she won the women’s 1500m gold medal, completing a remarkable progression from European bronze in 2016 to silver in 2022 and finally gold.
Her death, just two years after that historic victory, has left the international athletics community mourning an athlete whose career embodied determination, consistency and perseverance.
Early Life and Rise in International Athletics
Born on March 12, 1992, in Portaferry, County Down, Northern Ireland, Mageean demonstrated exceptional talent from an early age. She first attracted international attention at the 2009 World Youth Championships, winning silver in the women’s 800m.
A year later, she won another silver, this time in the 1500m at the 2010 World Junior Championships. Those performances established her among the most promising young middle-distance runners in international athletics. However, her transition into senior competition was disrupted by injuries, making her eventual rise to European champion particularly significant.
Mageean made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, competing in the 1500m and reaching the semifinals.
That same year, she secured her first major senior continental medal, winning bronze in the 1500m at the European Championships in Amsterdam. It was an important breakthrough for an athlete whose early promise had been repeatedly tested by physical setbacks. She added another continental medal at the 2019 European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, taking bronze in the 1500m.
The Breakthrough Years: 2022–2024
Mageean’s career entered a remarkable new phase in 2022.
At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, representing Northern Ireland, she won silver in the women’s 1500m with a time of 4:04.14.
Weeks later, at the European Championships in Munich, she claimed another silver, finishing in 4:02.56.
For a runner who had spent years battling injuries, these medals confirmed her arrival among Europe’s most consistent championship performers.
But Mageean was far from finished.
In 2023, she came agonisingly close to a global podium, finishing fourth in the women’s 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Her time of 3:56.61 was then an Irish national record, underlining her ability to compete against the world’s fastest middle-distance runners.
The following month, she lowered that record further, clocking a superb 3:55.87 at the Brussels Diamond League.
By then, Mageean had become a genuine international contender, combining championship racing intelligence with the speed required to challenge the world’s elite.
European Gold: The Defining Moment in Rome
The defining moment of Mageean’s career arrived on June 9, 2024. Competing at the European Athletics Championships in Rome, she produced a powerful finishing performance to win the women’s 1500m final in 4:04.66.
It was a historic victory.
Mageean became only the second Irish athlete, after the legendary Sonia O’Sullivan, to win an individual European outdoor athletics title. For Mageean, the gold represented the culmination of years of persistence. Eight years after her European bronze in Amsterdam, she had finally climbed to the top of the podium. The victory also completed an extraordinary collection of European 1500m medals — bronze, silver and gold across three successive championships.
Ciara Mageean’s Irish National Records
Beyond her championship medals, Mageean’s performances across multiple middle-distance events demonstrated her exceptional range.
At the time of her death, she held the following Irish national records:
| Event | Record |
|---|---|
| 800m | 1:58.51 |
| 1000m | 2:31.06 |
| 1500m | 3:55.87 |
| One Mile | 4:14.58 |
Her 800m national record came in May 2024, shortly before her European title triumph. Her mile record of 4:14.58, achieved in July 2023, was another demonstration of her ability to compete at an exceptionally high level across distances. These performances placed her among Ireland’s most distinguished middle-distance athletes.
Olympic Heartbreak and Her Final Challenge
Despite her European success, an Olympic medal remained elusive.
Mageean competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, but her hopes of challenging for a medal at Paris 2024 ended when an Achilles injury forced her withdrawal shortly before the competition.
It was a devastating setback, coming just weeks after she had won European gold. She never returned to competitive racing.
In July 2025, Mageean publicly revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The disease was subsequently confirmed to be stage-four bowel cancer. She continued receiving treatment and remained surrounded by family and friends. A statement released on her social media account confirmed that she died on November 1, surrounded by loved ones.
She had married her longtime partner, Tommy Moran, shortly before her death.
A Lasting Legacy in Irish Athletics
Athletics Ireland remembered Mageean as a deeply loved and inspirational figure whose courage, warmth and character had touched countless lives.
Her achievements tell the story of a remarkable athletics career: two Olympic appearances, European 1500m gold, silver and bronze, Commonwealth Games silver, European indoor bronze, fourth place at a World Championships and four national records.
But perhaps her greatest sporting legacy lies in the journey itself.
From a talented teenager winning world junior medals to a 32-year-old finally claiming European gold, Mageean demonstrated that careers do not always follow a straight path.
Injuries interrupted her progress. Opportunities slipped away. Yet she continued to return, improve and compete against the best.
Her triumph in Rome remains the enduring image of that determination — an Irish athlete standing atop the European podium after years of perseverance.
Ciara Mageean’s life ended tragically early. Her achievements, however, have secured her a permanent place in Irish athletics history.
NNIS Sports broke the news of the Indian team that will represent the country at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
India will send a 35-member contingent to Dakar 2026, including 17 athletes — 11 female and six male — along with coaches, physiotherapists and the Chef de Mission.
In athletics, according to reports, India had been allocated two quota places. Athletics federation of India (AFI) had selected another athlete, Vishnu, in the 5,000m race walk, following his gold-medal-winning performance at the Youth Nationals.
However, his entry was subsequently dropped from the updated list due to an issue with his passport.
As a result, Shourya Ambure remains India’s only representative in athletics at Dakar 2026.
The final squad list has been sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The 17 athletes selected are:
- Gatha Anandrao – Archery
- Shourya Ambure – Women’s 100m Hurdles
- Tanvi Patri – Women’s Singles (Badminton)
- Dev Ruparelia – Men’s Singles (Badminton)
- Gunjan – Women’s 48kg (Boxing)
- Ambekar Lairenlakpam – Men’s 50kg (Boxing)
- Sresht Raju – Individual Jumping (Equestrian)
- Khushbu Darjada – Women’s -63kg (Judo)
- Priyanshi Patil – Women’s Windsurfing
- Dhinidhi Desinghu – Women’s 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley (Swimming)
- Tirthank Pegu – Men’s 100m Butterfly and 200m Butterfly (Swimming)
- Syndrela Das – Women’s Singles (Table Tennis)
- Antra – Women’s 65kg (Beach Wrestling)
- Taniya – Women’s 75kg (Beach Wrestling)
- Anuj Anuj – Men’s 70kg (Beach Wrestling)
- Deepanshu Khokhar – Men’s 80kg (Beach Wrestling)
- Lanchenbi Chanu – Women’s Changquan Combined (Wushu Taolu)
The Games were initially scheduled for 2022 but were postponed by four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous Summer Youth Olympic Games were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018.
India has won 23 medals across the three previous editions, with its best performance coming at the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires, where the country secured 13 medals — three gold, nine silver and one bronze.
In athletics, India won two medals in 2018: a silver in the boys’ 5,000m race walk through Suraj Panwar and a bronze in the men’s triple jump through Praveen Chithravel.
However, for the Dakar 2026 edition, only one Indian athlete, Shourya Ambure, has been selected in athletics, competing in the women’s 100m hurdles.
This raises an important question: why has India’s participation dropped so sharply, from 46 athletes (25 boys and 21 girls) competing across 13 sports in Buenos Aires 2018 to just 17 athletes — 11 female and six male — in Dakar 2026?
There are several factors behind the reduced representation.
A smaller overall athlete quota
Dakar 2026 will mark the first time an Olympic sporting event is held on African soil.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has capped the total number of athletes at 2,700 for Dakar 2026. In comparison, approximately 4,000 athletes participated in Buenos Aires 2018.
Changes to the sports programme
The number of competition sports has also been reduced. Dakar 2026 will feature 25 sports, with only one discipline from each sport included in the competition programme.
Another 10 sports will be part of an engagement programme. Athletes will get opportunities to experience and promote these sports, but there will be no medal competitions in them.
This is particularly significant for India because some sports in which the country participated in Buenos Aires 2018, including hockey, shooting, sport climbing and weightlifting, are now part of the engagement programme rather than the medal competition.
A revised quota allocation system
The quota system is another important factor behind India’s limited representation.
Unlike previous editions, the IOC will centrally manage the allocation of athlete slots in collaboration with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is involved in the allocation process for India’s contingent.
The NIDJAM has finally made its comeback after a year-long absence due to a lack of sponsors. The 20th National Inter District Junior Athletics Meet will take place at Woxsen University in Hyderabad from November 14 to 16.
The NIDJAM is the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) biggest talent hunt for Under-14 and Under-16 athletes, with every entry coming through a district athletics association.
However, one district has been left out as its district secretary has been unable to organise the trials to select a team for the meet.
At the National Inter District Junior Athletics Meet, athletes participate and represent their respective districts. The last edition of NIDJAM was held from February 16 to 18, 2024, at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. Local reports put the participation figure at approximately 6,000 athletes representing 615 districts.
However, some athletes and coaches contacted NNIS Sports, claiming that Nainital, a district in Uttarakhand, has not conducted the trials required to select its team for NIDJAM.
“We have not received any update from our district association regarding the selection trials for NIDJAM. And now they are saying that we can go and compete from another district at NIDJAM,” an athlete said.
“I have skipped the Junior Nationals and School Nationals just for NIDJAM, but there has been no clarity regarding the selection trials for the meet.”
NNIS Sports reached out to Naresh Joshi, the district secretary of Nainital, seeking clarification regarding the selection trials. He said:
“I am not in town, and there is no one who is willing to take responsibility for conducting the meet.”
We also reached out to Uttarakhand Athletics Secretary Kanwal Jit Singh Kalsi. Responding to the issue, he said:
“Yes, we have been receiving complaints from athletes regarding this, but there is not much we can do as the national federation has issued a circular stating that interfering and trying to replace the existing District Associations is not allowed.”
A source in the state body said:
“Yes, there has been long-standing mismanagement in the Nainital district, as they don’t want to promote sports. We have told them to at least invest something towards its growth, but no steps have been taken by them.”
“It has been almost three years since district trials were last conducted, which was before the previous NIDJAM. If you don’t invest and conduct the trials, who will come to compete?” the source added.
As per the AFI’s circular regarding NIDJAM, dated September 9, 2026, only those District Athletics Associations that have conducted their District Athletics Meet are eligible to participate.
The last date for the receipt of online entries is October 30, 2026.
NNIS Sports also contacted the NIDJAM Coordinator at the Athletics Federation of India, C. S. Rathi, who said:
“If there are good athletes, we will definitely look into it and resolve the issue as soon as possible.”
2026 has been the biggest year for Indian national records in athletics in living memory. From a first sub-45 400m and a first 8,000-point decathlon to a 48-year-old marathon record and PT Usha’s 42-year-old hurdles mark, the record books have been rewritten at every level, from senior internationals to U14 schoolchildren.
This page brings together all the Indian national records in athletics in 2026, senior and junior, in one place. It covers the outdoor and indoor senior records, the U20 and U18 records from the Junior Federation Cup, the Asian U20 Championships and the Youth Nationals, and the 20 national records from the National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai. We will keep updating it as new records fall.
Indian national records in athletics 2026 at a glance
- Senior events with new records: 27 (17 outdoor including the mixed relay, 10 indoor)
- Fastest Indian ever: Gurindervir Singh, 10.09 in the 100m
- Oldest record broken: men’s marathon, 2:12:00 by Shivnath Singh from 1978, now 2:11:37 by Sawan Barwal
- Biggest milestone: Tejaswin Shankar, first Indian past 8,000 points in the decathlon (8,057)
- Most famous record to fall: PT Usha’s 400m hurdles mark from 1984, broken by Vithya Ramraj at the Asian Games
- Youngest senior record-breaker: Pooja Singh, women’s high jump 1.93m at the Asian U20 Championships
- Junior Nationals, Chennai: 15 national records in five days
The biggest Indian national records in athletics in 2026
Most of 2026’s senior records fell in three places: the Federation Cup in Ranchi in May, the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar in June, and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September. These are the ones that mattered most.
Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur trade the 100m record
The men’s 100m national record changed hands three times in two days at the Federation Cup in Ranchi. In the heats, Gurindervir Singh ran 10.17 to break the record, only for Animesh Kujur to take it back minutes later with 10.15. In the final on 23 May, Gurindervir had the last word with 10.09, with a legal tailwind of 0.3 m/s. He also set the indoor 60m record of 6.60 in Bhubaneswar in March.
Vithya Ramraj breaks PT Usha’s 42-year-old record
PT Usha ran 55.42 in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and for 42 years no Indian woman went faster. At the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Vithya Ramraj ran 54.75 to win bronze and finally take the record. Read our full profile of Vithya Ramraj.
Sawan Barwal ends a 48-year wait in the marathon
The oldest Indian record to fall in 2026 was the men’s marathon. Shivnath Singh ran 2:12:00 in 1978. At the Rotterdam Marathon on 12 April, Sawan Barwal finished in 2:11:58, two seconds faster, and also set the 30km record on the way.
Tejaswin Shankar becomes India’s first 8,000-point decathlete
Tejaswin Shankar scored 8,057 points at the Federation Cup on 22 and 23 May, making him the first Indian to break the 8,000-point barrier. It was his second national record of the year after a heptathlon record of 5,993 points at the Asian Indoor Championships in Tianjin in February.
Vishal TK breaks 45 seconds in the 400m
On the same night as Gurindervir’s 100m in Ranchi, Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi ran 44.98 in the 400m, the first time an Indian has gone under 45 seconds.
Ancy Sojan takes Anju Bobby George’s long jump record
Anju Bobby George’s long jump record of 6.83m, set in 2004, was one of the most famous marks in Indian athletics. At the Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar on 27 June, Ancy Sojan jumped 6.88m to break it.
Pooja Singh sets a senior record as a junior
Pooja Singh broke the senior women’s high jump record twice in 2026. She cleared 1.87m indoors at the Asian Championships in Tianjin in February, then 1.93m outdoors to win gold at the Asian U20 Championships in Hong Kong on 29 May. That broke Sahana Kumari’s record of 1.92m from 2012, and it was also an Asian U20 championship record.
Records that fell twice in one season
Some events moved so fast that a new record lasted only weeks. Dev Meena cleared 5.46m in the men’s pole vault in Bhubaneswar in June, then 5.50m at the Asian Games in September. In the women’s hammer, Anushka Yadav threw 67.02m in June, only for Tanya Chaudhary to throw 68.35m at the Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi in September. Lokesh Sathyanathan improved the indoor long jump record twice in the USA, first to 8.01m and then to 8.21m.
Senior men’s outdoor national records in 2026
Ten men’s outdoor events have new national records in 2026. Where a record was broken more than once this year, the table shows the latest mark.
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Event | Athlete | New record | Old record | Where and when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | Gurindervir Singh | 10.09 | 10.15, Animesh Kujur (set in the heats) | Federation Cup, Ranchi, 23 May |
| 400m | Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi | 44.98 | First Indian under 45 seconds | Federation Cup, Ranchi, 23 May |
| 5,000m | Gulveer Singh | 13:03.93 | 13:11.82, Gulveer Singh (2024) | LA Track Festival, Los Angeles, 23 May |
| Half marathon | Gulveer Singh | 59:42 | 1:00:30 (2020) | New York City Half Marathon, 15 March (also set the 5km, 10km, 15km and 20km records) |
| Marathon | Sawan Barwal | 2:11:58 | 2:12:00, Shivnath Singh (1978) | Rotterdam Marathon, 12 April (also set the 30km record) |
| 110m hurdles | Tejas Shirse | 13.27 | 13.41, Tejas Shirse (2024) | India Athletics Series, Ludhiana, 13 June |
| High jump | Sarvesh Kushare | 2.31m | 2.29m (2018) | Inter-State Championships, Bhubaneswar, 27 June |
| Pole vault | Dev Meena | 5.50m | 5.46m, Dev Meena (June 2026) | Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya, 29 September |
| Hammer throw | Nirbhay Choudhary | 71.02m | 70.73m (2016) | Indian Athletics Final Series, New Delhi, 10 September |
| Decathlon | Tejaswin Shankar | 8,057 pts | First Indian past 8,000 points | Federation Cup, Ranchi, 22 to 23 May |
Senior women’s outdoor national records in 2026
Six women’s outdoor events have new national records in 2026, including two of the longest-standing marks in Indian athletics.
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Event | Athlete | New record | Old record | Where and when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400m hurdles | Vithya Ramraj | 54.75 | 55.42, PT Usha (1984) | Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya, September |
| 5,000m | Parul Chaudhary | 15:04.26 | 15:10.35 (2023) | Meeting Nikaïa, Nice, 13 June |
| High jump | Pooja Singh | 1.93m | 1.92m, Sahana Kumari (2012) | Asian U20 Championships, Hong Kong, 29 May |
| Pole vault | G Sindhushree | 4.25m | 4.23m, Baranica Elangovan (May 2026) | Inter-State Championships, Bhubaneswar, 25 June |
| Long jump | Ancy Sojan | 6.88m | 6.83m, Anju Bobby George (2004) | Inter-State Championships, Bhubaneswar, 27 June |
| Hammer throw | Tanya Chaudhary | 68.35m | 67.02m, Anushka Yadav (June 2026) | Indian Athletics Final Series, New Delhi, 10 September |
Indoor and relay national records in 2026
Ten indoor events and the mixed 4x100m relay also have new national records. Several were set by Indians competing in US college athletics.
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Event | Athlete | New record | Where and when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men indoor | |||
| 60m | Gurindervir Singh | 6.60 | Indian Indoor Championships, Bhubaneswar, 25 March |
| 800m | Mohammed Afsal | 1:47.86 | Indian Indoor Championships, Bhubaneswar, 24 March |
| Pole vault | Kuldeep Kumar | 5.41m | Indian Open Combined Events and Pole Vault, Bhubaneswar, 2 May |
| Long jump | Lokesh Sathyanathan | 8.21m | NCAA Championships, Fayetteville, USA, 13 March (after 8.01m in February) |
| Shot put | Tajinderpal Singh Toor | 20.05m | Asian Indoor Championships, Tianjin, 8 February |
| Heptathlon | Tejaswin Shankar | 5,993 pts | Asian Indoor Championships, Tianjin, 7 to 8 February |
| Women indoor | |||
| High jump | Pooja Singh | 1.87m | Asian Indoor Championships, Tianjin, 8 February |
| Pole vault | Baranica Elangovan | 4.23m | Indian Open Combined Events and Pole Vault, Bhubaneswar, 3 May |
| Long jump | Pavana Nagaraj | 6.47m | Owen Hewitt Invitational, Norman, USA, 16 January |
| Shot put | Krishna Jayasankar Menon | 16.63m | New Mexico Open, Albuquerque, USA, 31 January |
| Relay | |||
| Mixed 4x100m | Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur, Sneha Sathyanarayana | 41.35 | World Relays, Gaborone, Botswana, 3 May |
U20 and U18 national records in 2026
India’s juniors had a record year too. Shahnavaz Khan broke Murali Sreeshankar’s U20 long jump record, Mohammed Ashfaq took Amoj Jacob’s U20 400m record, and Rahul Jakhar set the U20 decathlon record in Hong Kong. These are the junior records from before the Junior Nationals in October.
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Event | Athlete | New record | Old record | Where and when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s U20 long jump | Shahnavaz Khan | 8.23m | 8.20m, Murali Sreeshankar (2018) | Junior Federation Cup, Tumkur, 25 April |
| Men’s U20 400m | Mohammed Ashfaq | 46.05 | 46.26, Amoj Jacob (2017) | Junior Federation Cup, Tumkur, 25 April |
| Men’s U20 5,000m race walk | Nitin Gupta | 18:45.37 | 19:24.48, Nitin Gupta (2025) | Junior Federation Cup, Tumkur, 25 April |
| Women’s U20 5,000m race walk | Ranjana Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) | 23:22.12 | 23:43.58 | Junior Federation Cup, Tumkur, 25 April |
| Women’s high jump (senior and U20) | Pooja Singh | 1.93m | 1.92m, Sahana Kumari (2012) | Asian U20 Championships, Hong Kong, 29 May |
| Men’s U20 decathlon | Rahul Jakhar (Gujarat) | 7,185 pts | Asian U20 gold | Asian U20 Championships, Hong Kong, May |
| Men’s U18 110m hurdles | Yash Mulik (Maharashtra) | 13.40 | Since improved to 13.29 in Chennai | Youth Nationals, Ludhiana, 3 September |
| Men’s U18 100m | Neil Samraj R (Tamil Nadu) | 10.46 | 10.63, Anshu Rajak (2023); since improved to 10.45 in Chennai | Youth Nationals, Ludhiana, 1 September |
15 national records at the National Junior Athletics Championships 2026
The 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai, from 23 to 27 October, produced the most records of any single meet this year. Neil Samraj R set two of them, and Tamil Nadu and Haryana set four each. Read our profiles of the Junior Nationals heroes.
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Event | Athlete | State | New record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s U20 100m | Abinaya Rajarajan | Tamil Nadu | 11.49 |
| Women’s U20 pole vault | Chuki Birda | Rajasthan | 3.91m |
| Men’s U18 100m | Neil Samraj R | Tamil Nadu | 10.45 |
| Men’s U18 200m | Neil Samraj R | Tamil Nadu | 21.03 |
| Men’s U18 400m | Lodenge Ramu | Telangana | 46.80 |
| Men’s U18 110m hurdles | Yash Mulik | Maharashtra | 13.29 |
| Men’s U18 discus throw | Nishchay | Haryana | 66.75m |
| Girls’ U16 javelin | Minakshi | Haryana | 54.40m |
| Boys’ U16 shot put | Tharanesh C | Tamil Nadu | 17.86m |
| Boys’ U16 80m hurdles | Amanuel Kishu | Jharkhand | 10.10 |
| Boys’ U16 sprint medley relay | Haryana team | Haryana | 1:54.38 |
| Boys’ U14 kids’ javelin | Varun Bhambhu | Haryana | 71.20m |
| Boys’ U14 Triathlon B | Sumit Yadav | Uttar Pradesh | 3,256 pts |
| Boys’ U14 Triathlon C | Priyanshu Pal | Uttar Pradesh | 2,554 pts |
| Girls’ U14 Triathlon C | Prakriti Atal | Delhi | 2,644 pts |
How we compiled this list: senior records are taken from published national record lists and meet reports, and junior records from AFI reports and our own daily results coverage. AFI ratifies records separately, so a mark can appear here before it is officially ratified. If you spot a record we have missed, let us know.
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Evaluating the discipline-by-discipline breakdown between the 2023 Asian Games (Hangzhou) and the 2026 Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya) exposes precisely where India’s track and field fortunes shifted.
While the overall medal count experienced a slight contraction (from 29 to 24), the structural changes within specific events tell a different story of progression in some areas and regression in others.
The Major Declines: Where India Lost Ground
The Disappearance of Track Golds (Sprints and Middle-Distance)
In 2023, India secured titles through standout individual gold-medal efforts like Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase), Neeraj Chopra (Javelin), and Parul Chaudhary (5000m). By 2026, every single individual gold vanished. Athletes like Gulveer Singh, Parul Chaudhary, and Tajinderpal Singh Toor fought fiercely, but they were crowded out of the top step, converting what used to be golds into silvers and bronzes.
Steeplechase and Hurdles Dominance Diminishing
While Parul Chaudhary and Vithya Ramraj still medalled in 2026 (with Ramraj notably breaking P.T. Usha’s 42-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles), the overall stranglehold on podium dominance in tactical running events faced stiffer continental competition, reducing colour quality from gold to bronze.
The Surprising Growth Areas: Where India Improved
Long-Distance Running: The Gulveer Singh Phenomenon
If there is a positive trajectory, it is in men’s long-distance running. In 2023, names like Karthik Kumar and Gulveer Singh broke into silver/bronze brackets, but by 2026, Gulveer Singh evolved into an absolute powerhouse, bagging a historic treble (silvers in the 10,000m and 1500m, plus bronze in the 5000m).
Marathon Breakthrough
India ended a massive 44-year drought in the men’s marathon at the Asian Games, with Sawan Barwal capturing a silver medal, proving that long-distance endurance training avenues have genuinely levelled up.
Technical Depth and Relays Resilience
India maintained a firm grasp on relay consistency (clinching gold in the women’s 4×400m, silver in the mixed relay, and bronze in the men’s 4×400m and mixed 4×100m). Furthermore, historic milestones like Baranica Elangovan winning India’s first-ever Asian Games women’s pole vault medal (bronze) demonstrate that technical fields are slowly expanding past traditional boundaries.
Summary of the Disciplinary Shift
| Event Category | 2023 Performance | 2026 Performance | Trajectory Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throws (Shot Put, Javelin) | Multiple golds and strong podium control (Toor, Annu Rani). | Consistently competitive (Silver/Bronze), but missing the gold apex. | Stable in Volume, Down in Colour |
| Long-Distance / Running | Strong breakthrough phase. | Massive consolidation and multi-medal dominance (Gulveer Singh, Sawan Barwal). | Clear Improvement |
| Relays | Strong podium contention. | Outstanding versatility—gold, silver, and bronzes across mixed/gender relays. | Sustained Excellence |
| Sprints & Hurdles | Spots of brilliance. | Historic records broken (Vithya Ramraj) alongside steady podium accumulation. | Upward Depth |
While the dip in gold medals and the reliance on multi-event athletes present valid areas for a deeper inquest, a purely critical lens misses the broader, highly competitive context of modern continental athletics. To achieve a truly balanced view, we must weigh structural vulnerabilities against the continent’s athletics progression.
The “Gold Drought”
Dropping from 6 golds in 2023 to just 1 gold in 2026 suggests India is losing its edge at the apex.
Continental competition in Asia, particularly driven by West Asian nations (naturalized athletes) and East Asian powerhouses (China, Japan), has accelerated dramatically. Winning a gold medal at the Asian Games increasingly requires world-leading or Olympic-qualifying standards. Securing 24 total medals indicates that India’s overall competitive floor remains high; athletes are not falling off the map, they are simply running into a rapidly rising global standard across Asia. Furthermore, managing 14 bronze medals shows that a wider swath of Indian athletes are successfully cracking international finals and landing on podiums, a feat that was rare a decade ago.
Balancing the “Multi-Event Reliance”
Over-relying on athletes like Gulveer Singh and Vithya Ramraj across multiple gruelling events creates a dangerous single-point-of-failure risk.
Doubling up on events is standard global practice for elite endurance and track athletes (frequently seen in the Olympics and World Championships). It reflects elite conditioning and tactical versatility rather than just a shortage of talent. While depth is still being built, having world-class athletes capable of executing multiple competitive races within a tight tournament schedule is a pointer to the enhanced physical conditioning and sports science support now available to Indian campers.
Balancing the State Disparity
Vast populous states lagging behind while a few states dominate highlights a fragmented domestic grassroots structure.
The rise of Uttar Pradesh alongside traditional strongholds like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, and Punjab actually signals a decentralization of sports culture, rather than stagnation. It proves that sports policies are beginning to bear fruit outside of traditional pockets. The emergence of new regional hubs shows that domestic talent acquisition is expanding, setting the stage for a more geographically diverse national pipeline over the next Olympic cycle.
Moving Forward
The 2026 data should not be viewed as a regression, but as a consolidation phase. India has proven it can consistently capture a high volume of medals in track and field. The next frontier is less about panic over gold conversion and more about targeted, high-performance interventions, such as specialized sports science, biomechanical analysis, and mental conditioning, to help silver and bronze contenders bridge those final hundredths of a second or centimetres to reach the top step.
State-Wise Medal Tally — 2026 Asian Games
| Rank | State / UT | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | Kerala | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Haryana | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Karnataka | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Maharashtra | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Punjab | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Himachal Pradesh | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Rajasthan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Delhi | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Odisha | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 4 | 14 | 22 | 40 | |
The LA 2028 athletics schedule runs from 15 to 30 July 2028. Track and field events take place at the LA Memorial Coliseum from 15 to 24 July, in the first week of the Games, while the race walks and marathons follow on 27, 29 and 30 July. For the first time, athletics will span the whole Olympic Games.
World Athletics and LA28 announced the session-by-session plan on 12 November 2025. It opens with the women’s 100m, moves swimming to the second week and ends with the men’s marathon on the final day. Below, you will find every final by date, what has changed since Paris 2024 and the key dates for Indian fans, including the men’s javelin final.
LA 2028 athletics schedule at a glance
- Olympic Games: 14 to 30 July 2028, Los Angeles
- Athletics: 15 to 30 July (track and field 15–24 July; road events 27, 29, 30 July)
- Stadium: LA Memorial Coliseum, an Olympic venue in 1932, 1984 and 2028
- Medal events: 48 (23 men’s, 23 women’s, 2 mixed)
- Athletes: 1,810, with equal numbers of men and women
- New: mixed 4x100m relay and half marathon race walk
- Men’s javelin final: Monday 24 July 2028 (early on 25 July in India)
LA 2028 athletics schedule: every final, day by day
The table lists the finals in each session. World Athletics has already fixed which events take place in each session. However, organisers will confirm the exact start times closer to the Games.
| Date (2028) | Session | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 15 July | Evening | Women’s shot put, women’s 100m, men’s 10,000m |
| Sun 16 July | Evening | Men’s shot put, women’s hammer, mixed 4x400m relay, men’s 100m |
| Mon 17 July | Morning | Women’s triple jump |
| Mon 17 July | Evening | Men’s pole vault, mixed 4x100m relay, men’s decathlon |
| Tue 18 July | Evening | Men’s high jump, men’s discus, women’s 5000m, women’s 800m |
| Wed 19 July | Morning | Women’s 3000m steeplechase |
| Wed 19 July | Evening | Women’s discus, men’s long jump, men’s 1500m, men’s 400m hurdles |
| Thu 20 July | Morning | Men’s 3000m steeplechase |
| Thu 20 July | Evening | Women’s pole vault, men’s hammer, women’s 400m |
| Fri 21 July | Morning | Men’s triple jump |
| Fri 21 July | Evening | Women’s 10,000m, men’s 110m hurdles, men’s 200m |
| Sat 22 July | Evening | Women’s long jump, women’s 400m hurdles, men’s 400m, women’s heptathlon, women’s 200m |
| Sun 23 July | Evening | Women’s high jump, women’s javelin, women’s 1500m, men’s 800m, men’s 4x100m relay |
| Mon 24 July | Evening | Men’s javelin, women’s 4x100m relay, men’s 5000m, women’s 100m hurdles, men’s 4x400m relay, women’s 4x400m relay |
| Thu 27 July | Morning | Men’s and women’s half marathon race walk |
| Sat 29 July | Morning | Women’s marathon |
| Sun 30 July | Morning | Men’s marathon |
What is new for athletics in Los Angeles
Above all, the timetable flips the usual order of the Games. Traditionally, swimming filled the first week and athletics the second. In Los Angeles, however, athletics starts on day two and swimming moves to the second week.
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Athletics in week one | Track and field runs 15–24 July; swimming moves to the second week |
| Women’s 100m opens the Games | All three rounds and the final on 15 July |
| Mixed 4x100m relay | Olympic debut, final on 17 July |
| Half marathon race walk | Replaces the 20km race walk, on 27 July |
| Marathon race walk mixed relay | Dropped after its only appearance in Paris 2024 |
| New repechage spacing | At least 36 hours between round one and the repechage in the 400m; about 24 hours in the 800m and 1500m |
| Men’s marathon on the last day | Medals presented at the closing ceremony |
In addition, the plan allows popular doubles, such as the 100m and 200m, the 1500m and 5000m, and the long jump and triple jump.
LA 2028 athletics schedule: key dates for India
For Indian fans, the most important date is Monday 24 July, the men’s javelin final. Neeraj Chopra won Olympic gold in Tokyo and silver in Paris, and he is working his way back from an ankle injury that ended his 2026 season.
| Date (2028) | Final | Indian interest |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 16 July | Men’s 100m | Gurindervir Singh, national record 10.09 |
| Mon 17 July | Mixed 4x100m relay (debut) | India ran 41.06 and won Asian Games bronze |
| Mon 17 July | Men’s decathlon | Tejaswin Shankar, first Indian over 8,000 points |
| Wed 19 July | Women’s 3000m steeplechase | Parul Chaudhary, national record 9:08.67 |
| Thu 20 July | Men’s 3000m steeplechase | Avinash Sable |
| Sat 22 July | Men’s 400m | Vishal TK, first Indian under 45 seconds |
| Mon 24 July | Men’s javelin | Neeraj Chopra and India’s other throwers |
| Thu 27 July | Half marathon race walk | India’s race walkers |
| Sun 30 July | Men’s marathon | Sawan Barwal, national record 2:11:37 |
Indian athletes still have to qualify for LA 2028. The names above are India’s current leaders in each event, based on our national records 2026 list.
What time will the finals be in India?
Los Angeles is 12 hours and 30 minutes behind India in July. As a result, the evening sessions in the Coliseum will fall in the early morning in India, on the following day. The table converts the planned session windows from the LA28 competition schedule for the events Indian fans will watch most.
| Event | Los Angeles time (PDT) | Indian time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s 100m final session | Sun 16 July, 15:15–19:00 | Mon 17 July, 03:45–07:30 |
| Mixed 4x100m relay final session | Mon 17 July, 16:30–19:30 | Tue 18 July, 05:00–08:00 |
| Men’s javelin final session | Mon 24 July, 16:35–18:25 | Tue 25 July, 05:05–06:55 |
| Half marathon race walks | Thu 27 July, 07:30–11:35 | Thu 27 July, 20:00–00:05 (next day) |
| Men’s marathon | Sun 30 July, 07:15–10:15 | Sun 30 July, 19:45–22:45 |
These are planned session windows, not exact event times. LA28 will publish the detailed timetable closer to the Games.
Athletics venues in Los Angeles
The LA Memorial Coliseum will stage 44 of the 48 athletics events. It will also become the first stadium to host Olympic events at three Games, after 1932 and 1984. Meanwhile, the race walks and the marathons are linked to the Venice Beach Boardwalk, where both marathons will start. However, LA28 has not yet announced the full road courses.
The road to Los Angeles
The next two seasons will shape India’s LA 2028 team. First comes the Diamond League 2027, then the World Championships in Beijing in September 2027. After that, the Olympic qualification period will decide who travels to Los Angeles. We will update this page when the session times and the qualification rules are confirmed.
