Ancy Sojan claimed silver in the women’s long jump at the 2026 Asian Games

Ancy Sojan claimed silver in the women’s long jump at the 2026 Asian Games on Sunday after leading for most of the final, only to be overtaken by two centimetres on the last jump.

The 25-year-old from Thrissur, Kerala, recorded a best effort of 6.53 metres on her fifth attempt at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. China’s Huang Yingying produced 6.55 metres on her sixth and final jump to take gold. China’s Tan Mengyi won bronze with 6.46 metres. India’s Shaili Singh finished fourth with 6.42 metres after also being displaced on the last round.

Ancy opened with 6.49 metres and held first place from the first attempt. A foul in the second round did not cost her the lead. After Huang matched that mark, Ancy responded with 6.53 metres in the fifth round and appeared set to become the first Indian woman since Anju Bobby George in 2002 to win Asian Games long jump gold. Huang then found 6.55 metres. Ancy’s final effort measured 6.49 metres.

The silver is Ancy’s second successive Asian Games medal in the event after she also finished second at Hangzhou in 2023. She is now the second Indian woman, after Anju Bobby George, to win two Asian Games medals in women’s long jump. Anju remains the only Indian woman to have won gold in the discipline.

Ancy entered the Games as India’s national record holder after jumping 6.88 metres earlier in 2026, surpassing Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old mark of 6.83 metres. Recalling the closing moments, she said she was still in the gold-medal position and hoped the lead would hold. “In that last moment, I was still in gold medal position, I was praying, God, oh my God, please don’t let me down,” she said.

The result added another silver to India’s athletics tally on a day of several close finishes in Nagoya.