Kuldeep Kumar's Record-Breaking Leap at Indian Indoor Open 2026

Kuldeep Kumar set a national record in pole vault at the Indian Indoor Open 2026, clearing 5.41m and surpassing the previous record of 5.40m. Despite facing tough competition from Reegan G and Dev Meena, Kumar emerged victorious, marking another milestone in his athletic career.

In a stunning display of athletic prowess, Indian athlete Kuldeep Kumar shattered the national record in the men's pole vault event at the Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault 2026, held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The 21-year-old cleared an impressive height of 5.41m, surpassing the previous record of 5.40m set by Dev Meena at the World University Games 2025 in Germany. This achievement was reported by Olympics.com.

Former record holder Reegan G secured second place with a best jump of 5.25m, while Dev Meena clinched third with a 5.20m leap. Despite the official regulations by World Athletics, which do not distinguish between indoor and outdoor records, Kuldeep Kumar's remarkable feat awaits ratification from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). This event marked the third competitive encounter between Kumar and Meena this year.

The duo first faced off at the Indian Open Jumps Competition in Bengaluru, where Meena claimed victory. Kumar, however, bounced back in their subsequent meeting at the Indian Open Athletics Series in Jaipur, winning by a countback. Although Kumar attempted to clear 5.46m on Saturday, he was unsuccessful. Additionally, the men's pole vault qualifying standard for the Asian Games 2026 is set at 5.45m.