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Indian pole vaulter Dev Kumar Meena created history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, setting a new national record in the men's pole vault final with a clearance of 5.50m on Monday.
Dev surpassed his previous personal best of 5.46m, clearing 5.50m on his second attempt to become the highest-clearing Indian pole vaulter in the event. However, he could not find a place on the podium and finished seventh in the 12-man event. The 22-year-old began his finals campaign by passing on the 5.05m mark before clearing 5.20m on his second attempt and 5.35m on his first attempt. He then produced a record-breaking jump of 5.50m on his second attempt, before narrowly missing three attempts at 5.60m. Dev eventually finished seventh in a highly competitive Asian Games final, but his record-breaking effort marked a major milestone for Indian pole vault. The athlete, who has only recently started competing internationally at this level, delivered a personal best performance on the continental stage. Meanwhile, Indias other participant in the event, Kuldeep Kumar, finished 10th after clearing 5.35m in her third attempt. Meanwhile, another Indian athlete, Pooja, finished seventh in the womens 800m final at the Asian Games 2026, clocking 2:06.72 in a tactical race. Devs record-breaking performance added another highlight to Indias athletics campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. India has so far secured 48 medals at the continental event, including five gold, 21 silver and 22 bronze medals, with athletics contributing 19 of those medals. (ANI)
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