Indian athletics witnessed a landmark moment in Bhubaneswar on June 27 (Saturday) as Kerala’s Ancy Sojan produced the jump of her life, breaking one of the most enduring records in the country’s track and field history.
At the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium, the 25-year-old leapt 6.88m, surpassing the long-standing national record of 6.83m set by Anju Bobby George at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
For 22 years, that mark had stood untouched. Generations of Indian long jumpers had come and gone without managing to cross it. On Day 4 of the championships, Ancy finally did.
The moment her fifth-attempt jump was measured at 6.88m, a chapter of Indian athletics history came to an end and a new one began.
A Record That Defined an Era
Anju Bobby George’s 6.83m jump at the Athens Olympics remains one of the defining performances in Indian athletics history. Beyond establishing a national record, it set a benchmark that survived for more than two decades despite significant improvements in training, infrastructure and international exposure for Indian athletes.
That longevity is what makes Ancy’s achievement so significant.
Breaking a national record is notable. Breaking a national record that has stood for 22 years is rare. Breaking one held by India’s most accomplished female long jumper is the kind of achievement that instantly becomes part of the sport’s history.
Ancy did not merely improve the record. She became the first Indian woman to move the national benchmark beyond 6.83m.
From Nattika to the National Record Books
Ancy’s rise is rooted in a story of family sacrifice and persistence.
She grew up in Nattika, a coastal town in Kerala’s Thrissur district. Her father, Sojan E.T., had athletic ambitions of his own but was unable to pursue them because of financial constraints. He eventually earned a living as an auto-rickshaw driver while supporting his daughter’s sporting journey.
Ancy attended Government Fisheries Higher Secondary School in Nattika, where her athletic abilities first began attracting attention. Over the years, she steadily climbed through India’s athletics system, establishing herself as one of the country’s most promising long jumpers.
Unlike many overnight sporting sensations, her rise has been built on gradual progression.
The breakthrough on the continental stage arrived when she won silver in the women’s long jump at the Hangzhou Asian Games, producing a jump of 6.63m. She followed that performance with another silver medal at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, confirming her status as one of Asia’s leading competitors in the event.
The Road Back
The national record did not arrive during a smooth season.
Earlier in 2026, Ancy dealt with hormonal issues that affected her physical condition and disrupted her preparation. The challenges forced adjustments to her training and fitness routines at a critical stage of the season.
Working with coach Kannan VV, she gradually rebuilt her form and confidence.
The first major sign of a resurgence came at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, where she registered a personal best of 6.75m. It was the strongest jump of her career at the time and suggested that something bigger might be coming.
Just weeks later in Bhubaneswar, she found another level.
The progression from 6.75m to 6.88m may appear modest on paper, but in elite long jump competition, gains measured in centimeters can separate contenders from champions and national record holders from everyone else.
Why 6.88m Matters
The significance of Ancy’s jump extends beyond the national record books.
The mark strengthens her standing among Asia’s top long jumpers and further enhances her credentials heading into future major international competitions.
More importantly, it signals that Indian women’s long jump has entered a new phase.
For more than two decades, discussions about excellence in the event inevitably returned to Anju Bobby George’s 2004 benchmark. Ancy’s performance has established a new standard for the next generation to chase.
At 25, she is also entering what is traditionally considered the prime competitive phase for many field-event athletes. That makes the achievement feel less like a culmination and more like the beginning of a potentially defining period in her career.
A New Benchmark for Indian Athletics
Every sport has records that become part of its folklore. They survive long enough that they begin to feel permanent.
Anju Bobby George’s 6.83m mark was one such record.
For 22 years, it stood as the highest point Indian women’s long jump had reached. On a memorable afternoon in Bhubaneswar, Ancy Sojan finally pushed that frontier forward.
From the daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver in Nattika to the owner of India’s longest-ever women’s long jump, her journey reflects both the resilience behind elite sport and the possibilities that emerge when talent meets perseverance.
Indian athletics spent more than two decades looking back at a record set in Athens.
Today, it has a new benchmark—and a new name at the top.