Baranica Elangovan, the 29-year-old Tamil Nadu pole vaulter, made history on 25 September by becoming the first Indian athlete — male or female — to win a pole vault medal at the Asian Games, the Olympics, or the Commonwealth Games. Her coach, Milber Bertrand Russell, says the Nagoya bronze is not the destination but the launchpad for a world-class career.

A Historic Bronze in Nagoya

Baranica shared the bronze medal with Polina of Kazakhstan, both clearing 4.15 metres at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Japan's Misaki Morota claimed gold with a clearance of 4.55 m, while China's Niu Chunge took silver at 4.50 m. It was Baranica's debut at the Asian Games, making the achievement all the more remarkable.

The athlete herself admitted the outcome exceeded her expectations. 'No one was expecting me to win a medal. I only wanted to improve my personal best but I ended up on the podium. At least I have opened India's account at the Asian Games and I thank my support team and family for this,' Baranica said in an interaction with SAI Media.

Coach Russell Sets the Next Bar

Russell, who has guided Baranica since the early stages of her athletics career, described the medal as the beginning of a new chapter. 'The next targets will be to consistently improve her personal best and move towards the 4.40–4.50 m level. Beyond that, we want her to compete strongly at major international competitions and continue improving her position at the world level,' Russell told SAI Media.

He elaborated on the approach that delivered the medal in Nagoya. 'Our target was to take the competition one height at a time and focus on the process rather than thinking too much about the medal. We believed Baranica had the potential to fight for a medal, but we also knew that she had to execute well on the day. She showed a lot of fighting spirit and eventually won the medal,' Russell said.

From Basketball Courts to the Vaulting Pit

Baranica's journey to pole vault was far from conventional. It was Russell — himself a coach who came to the event by circumstance — who steered her away from basketball and into athletics. 'I am a pole-vaulter by chance and it was my coach who brought me to this level,' Baranica acknowledged.

Her personal best stands at 4.23 m, which had been the national record until G. Sindhusree Ganesha broke it by clearing 4.25 m. Russell's immediate focus is on pushing Baranica past that mark consistently, with improvements targeted in her approach run, take-off mechanics, and overall speed and power.

Pole Vault's Moment to Shine in Indian Athletics

Russell believes Baranica's medal carries significance well beyond the individual achievement. Pole vault, despite its visual appeal, has long been overshadowed in India by javelin, discus, and shot put. 'When Indian athletes start performing well at international competitions, people begin to notice the event. Baranica winning an Asian Games medal will hopefully encourage more young athletes, coaches, and academies to take up the event,' Russell said.

He also called on the Athletics Federation of India to leverage the moment and secure better government support. 'We still need better facilities, equipment, proper coaching, and more opportunities for young athletes to compete and develop,' Russell said, noting that Olympic sports attract significant public investment that has yet to fully reach pole vault.

Athletics' Broader Rise — and What Comes Next

Track and field consistently fields India's largest contingent at major multi-sport events. The discipline received a transformative boost when Neeraj Chopra elevated javelin to Olympic gold-medal status, and Russell hopes Baranica's breakthrough can do for pole vault what Chopra did for the throwing events. Baranica is expected to compete at major international meets in the coming season as she and Russell work toward the 4.40–4.50 m target that would place her firmly among Asia's elite.