Pooja Singh finishes seventh high jump final at World U20 C'ships: Indian Sports LIVE, August 10

August 10, 2026 - 01:44

Indian athlete Pooja Singh concluded her campaign at the World U20 Championships with a seventh-place finish in the high jump final on August 10. The 19-year-old cleared a best height of 1.84 meters, her season's second-best effort, but could not push into medal contention as the bar rose past 1.88.

The competition was won by Ukraine's Olena Kovalchuk, who cleared 1.92 meters on her second attempt. Silver went to Germany's Lena Brandt with 1.90, while bronze was shared between two jumpers at 1.88.

Pooja, who entered the final with the fifth-best qualifying mark, looked steady through the early rounds. She cleared 1.76, 1.80, and 1.84 without a single failure. However, she knocked the bar down on all three attempts at 1.88, ending her night with a solid but not spectacular result.

This was Pooja's first appearance at a global age-group final. Her coach, Ramesh Kumar, said after the event that the experience was valuable. "She handled the pressure well for someone this young. The gap to the top is there, but it is closing," he told reporters.

The result continues a mixed day for Indian athletics at the championships. Earlier, sprinter Ankit Meena failed to advance from the 200-meter semifinals, finishing sixth in his heat. However, long jumper Sneha Rani qualified for her final with a season-best leap of 6.41 meters.

Pooja will return to India next week and is expected to compete at the National Open Championships in September. Her focus now shifts to the 2028 Olympic cycle, where she hopes to build on this international exposure.