India’s Baranica Elangovan made history by winning the nation’s first‑ever bronze medal in women’s pole vault at the Asian Games 2026, but the athlete admitted she struggled to believe her achievement even after the official confirmation.
As Japan’s Misaki Morota attempted the 4.61m mark, Baranica anxiously waited for the final results. When fellow Indian pole vaulter Sindhushree told her she had secured bronze, Baranica refused to accept it immediately. “I kept checking again and again. Even when my coach Milber Bertrand Russell asked me to look at the big screen, I wanted him to confirm it directly from the officials,” she said, describing the surreal moment.
Baranica cleared 4.15m, tying with Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova for a joint bronze. The medal marks a breakthrough for Indian athletics, adding to the country’s growing tally at the Games.
The 29‑year‑old athlete said she would only truly believe the achievement once the medal was placed in her hands. Her emotional reaction reflects the magnitude of the moment — a milestone not just for her career but for Indian women’s athletics.
