Ancy Sojan breaks 22 year old Indian long jump record

A 25-year-old long jumper from Kerala, Ancy Sojan, shattered a 22-year-old national record at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Representing the Indian Navy, Sojan leapt 6.88 meters on her fifth attempt at the Kalinga Stadium, surpassing the iconic mark of 6.83 meters set by Anju Bobby George at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The historic jump not only secured Sojan the national title but also made her the current season leader across Asia and comfortably cleared the qualification standard for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. She expressed immense confidence following the event, stating her primary goal is to win a gold medal at the Asian Games and qualify for the 2027 World Athletics Championships, a benchmark she has already surpassed.

Sojan’s performance was a model of consistency. She began the competition by signaling her intent with a massive opening leap of 6.73 meters, immediately breaching the Asian Games qualification standard. After a foul on her second attempt, she followed with jumps of 6.67 and 6.72 meters before unleashing the record-breaking 6.88-meter effort. She finished her series with a...