Baranica Elangovan shatters pole vault mark at 4.23m in Bhubaneswar
Synopsis
Baranica Elangovan's second national record in six weeks signals a new era in Indian women's pole vaulting. At 4.23m, she has now set the bar—literally—for a discipline long starved of investment and visibility. Her relocation to Bhubaneswar and the venue's consistent conditions appear to have unlocked a performance ceiling that India's athletics establishment is only beginning to measure.
Key Takeaways
Baranica Elangovan of Tamil Nadu cleared 4.23 metres on 3 May at Bhubaneswar Indoor Stadium , breaking the national pole vault record.
This is her second national record in just over a month; she previously cleared 4.22m in late March at the same venue.
Thowfeeq N of NCOE Trivandrum won the men's heptathlon gold with 5,350 points .
Purnima Hembram of Odisha claimed the women's pentathlon title with 3,835 points .
Nitika of Madhya Pradesh and Blessy Kunjumon of Kerala both cleared 3.90m in women's pole vault to share second place.
Baranica Elangovan of Tamil Nadu raised the women's pole vault national record to 4.23 metres on 3 May at the Bhubaneswar Indoor Stadium, clearing the bar on her third attempt and eclipsing her own previous mark of 4.22m set in late March at the same venue. The 29-year-old athlete has now established the Indoor Stadium as her preferred training base after relocating from her home state, and the second record in as many months underscores her accelerating trajectory in the discipline.
Elangovan's record progression
The Tamil Nadu vaulter's climb has been steady and methodical. She first set the national indoor record of 4.22m at the inaugural National Indoor Athletics Championships held at the same Bhubaneswar venue in late March. The venue's controlled environment and her familiarity with the facility appear to have unlocked a new performance level. "It was another good day for me," Elangovan said after the record-setting effort, reflecting on her consistent improvement trajectory.
Men's heptathlon: Thowfeeq maintains lead
Thowfeeq N of NCOE Trivandrum claimed the men's heptathlon gold with 5,350 points, having seized the lead on Day One with 2,943 points and holding it through the final day. Usaid Khan of the Army finished second with 5,288 points, while Odisha's Jashbir Nayak secured the bronze medal with 5,250 points.
Youth and women's multi-event results
In the men's U20 heptathlon, Kirthik Vasan S of Tamil Nadu topped the standings with 4,609 points. Jinoy Jayan of NCOE Trivandrum (4,518 points) and Aryan Parkash of Madhya Pradesh (4,509 points) rounded out the podium. The women's pentathlon saw Purnima Hembram of Odisha emerge victorious with 3,835 points, ahead of Isha Chandra Prakash of Uttarakhand (3,671 points) and Bidisha Kundu of West Bengal (3,600 points). In the women's U20 pentathlon, Jaskiran Kaur of Uttarakhand claimed gold with 3,272 points, followed by Priya of Haryana (3,133 points) and Alfaz Kaur Grewal of Punjab (3,066 points).
Pole vault podium
In the women's pole vault, Nitika of Madhya Pradesh and Blessy Kunjumon of Kerala shared the second-place finish, both clearing 3.90m. The competition underscored the growing depth in Indian women's pole vaulting, with Elangovan's record now setting a new benchmark for the discipline.
Point of View
Starved of coaching infrastructure and facility investment. That a single athlete can reset the national standard twice in weeks suggests the ceiling was not talent but opportunity. Her relocation to Bhubaneswar and the venue's controlled environment have become a proxy for what systematic investment could unlock across Indian track and field.
NationPress
4 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Baranica Elangovan's new national pole vault record?
Baranica Elangovan cleared 4.23 metres on 3 May 2024 at the Bhubaneswar Indoor Stadium, setting a new national record for women's pole vault. She achieved this on her third attempt.
How long ago did she set her previous record?
She set her previous national record of 4.22m in late March 2024 at the inaugural National Indoor Athletics Championships, also held at the Bhubaneswar Indoor Stadium. This is her second record in just over a month.
Why has Baranica Elangovan moved to Bhubaneswar?
Elangovan has relocated from Tamil Nadu and established Bhubaneswar as her training base, citing the controlled environment and consistent conditions at the Bhubaneswar Indoor Stadium as beneficial for her preparation and performance.
Who finished second and third in the women's pole vault?
Nitika of Madhya Pradesh and Blessy Kunjumon of Kerala shared the second-place finish, both clearing 3.90 metres.
Who won the men's heptathlon at the event?
Thowfeeq N of NCOE Trivandrum claimed the men's heptathlon gold medal with 5,350 points, having led from Day One with 2,943 points.
