Ancy Sojan breaks Anja Bobby George’s long jump record with a historic jump

Ancy Sojan scripted one of the biggest moments in Indian athletics by breaking Anju Bobby George’s long-standing national women’s long jump record with a sensational leap of 6.88m at the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships on Saturday, June 27.

The athlete from Kerala achieved the historic jump in her fifth attempt, breaking the previous national mark of 6.83m set by Anju during the Athens Olympics in 2004. It ended one of the oldest records in Indian athletics and marked a watershed moment for field events in the country.

The effort also elevated Ancy to the upper echelon of Asian athletics. Her jump of 6.88m is the eighth best performance in the history of the continent and she is only the second Asian in the past two decades to break the 6.85m mark, underscoring the quality of her performance on the international stage.

PEOPLE, THIS IS BIG, THIS IS MASSIVE

Ancy Sojan just broke the 21-year-old national record of the great Anju Boba George with a jump of 6.88m

Crazy Crazy jumps by Ancy Sojan

This jump is the 8th best ever in Asia

Only the 2nd Asian jumper pic.twitter.com/FnGrHJMITa— SPORTS ARENA (@SportsArena1234) June 27, 2026

A landmark achievement for Indian athletics

The record has been a symbol of excellence ever since Anju Bobby George became one of India’s greatest sportsmen. Besides holding the national record for more than two decades, Anju became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships when she won bronze in Paris in 2003. Her achievements inspired a generation of jumpers, but none have so far succeeded in eclipsing her mark.

For Ancy, this feat is the latest chapter in a career that continues to grow from strength to strength. Representing the Indian Navy, she won a silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games before adding another silver medal at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships. She also improved her personal best to 6.75m earlier this year, suggesting she is on the verge of a breakthrough performance.

The new national record comes at the perfect time, with the World Championships in Athletics later this year. Apart from breaking records, Ancy’s jump signals India’s growing strength in field events and underscores the emergence of a new standard in women’s long jump that continues the legacy of Anju Bobby George.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

27 Jun 2026 20:18 IST