Baranica Elangovan scripts, wins first ever Indian pole vault medal at Asian Games

Baranica Elangovan in action during the women’s pole vault final Indian athlete Baranica Elangovan on Friday won a bronze medal in the pole vault at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, giving India its first ever medal at the Asian Games.The 29-year-old clinched bronze with a best distance of 4.15m. She shared the medal with Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova, who also cleared 4.15m. The two athletes battled after the countdown, leading to a shared bronze.Baranica started with first attempt distances of 3.85m and 4.00m before needing two attempts to clear 4.15m. She then attempted 4.25m but failed on all three attempts ending her bronze medal competition.Her compatriot Sindhushree Ganesha left the competition without registering a mark, while Baranica remained in contention for a medal.Baranica has also had a strong season, breaking the national record twice this year. It first cleared 4.22m in March and then raised the mark to 4.23m in May in Bhubaneswar. Sindhushree G later improved the national record to 4.25m in June. Baranica’s season best remains 4.23m. The pole vaulter from Tamil Nadu suffered an ACL injury in 2020 and underwent a challenging period of rehabilitation, after which she moved to the Reliance Foundation High Performance Center in Bhubaneswar in 2023.Japan’s Misaki Morota won gold with a best clearance of 4.55m, while China’s Chunge Neu took silver with 4.50m.Baranica’s bronze took India’s medal tally at the Asian Games to 23, including two gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medals.