EUGENE
National senior record holder Pooja Singh finished in a disappointing 7th place during the women’s high jump final. This event officially brought an end to India’s campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships, where the team secured a total of 3 medals.
The 19-year-old athlete arrived at the competition as one of the top favorites to win. Earlier this season, she set a stunning national senior record by clearing 1.93 meters. She also earned a gold medal at the Asian U20 Championships in May and currently holds the title at the Senior Asian Championships. However, she struggled to find her rhythm in the final. She managed to clear only 1.84 meters before failing all three of her attempts at 1.87 meters, which forced her exit from the tournament.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Izobelle Louison-Roe claimed the gold medal with a brilliant clearance of 1.92 meters. Lilianna Batori from Hungary and Spain’s Aitana Alonso earned the silver and bronze medals respectively after both successfully cleared 1.90 meters.
In other events, India’s women’s 4x400m relay team faced tough competition. The squad, featuring Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary, and Thiya Arumugam, finished in ninth and last place with a time of 3:45.28. The United States claimed gold with 3:29.15, followed by Australia with silver and Great Britain with bronze.
Overall, India concluded the championships with two silver medals and one bronze. Ashish Yadav won silver in the men’s javelin throw, Basant Kumar Meghwal secured silver in the men’s high jump, and Shahnavaz Khan picked up bronze in the men’s long jump.
India’s overall performance shows massive growth compared to past decades. Between 2002 and 2018, the country earned only four medals, featuring legendary gold wins by Neeraj Chopra and Hima Das. The nation continues to build a strong presence on the global athletics stage.