For the record | Long jumper Ancy Sojan
After breaking Anju Bobby George's national long jump record, Ancy Sojan is going for the seven-metre mark—and an Asian Games gold
As early as her school days, Ancy Sojan was picking up national medals. It was around the time she first heard of Anju Bobby George’s exploits—the 2003 World Championship bronze and fifth place at the Olympics a year later. When she looked up the national record, it was Anju’s name that came up again. The 6.83-metre mark became a fixation. The medals were coming, the record would be the next step in her long jumping career.
As early as her school days, Ancy Sojan was picking up national medals. It was around the time she first heard of Anju Bobby George’s exploits—the 2003 World Championship bronze and fifth place at the Olympics a year later. When she looked up the national record, it was Anju’s name that came up again. The 6.83-metre mark became a fixation. The medals were coming, the record would be the next step in her long jumping career.
As early as her school days, Ancy Sojan was picking up national medals. It was around the time she first heard of Anju Bobby George’s exploits—the 2003 World Championship bronze and fifth place at the Olympics a year later. When she looked up the national record, it was Anju’s name that came up again. The 6.83-metre mark became a fixation. The medals were coming, the record would be the next step in her long jumping career.
Ancy’s silver at the 2022 Asian Games was a sign of things to come. But for long, her personal best remained third in India behind Anju and Shaili Singh (6.76 m). That changed with her fifth attempt at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in June. The 6.88-metre mark helped the Reliance Foundation athlete eclipse Anju’s national record from 2004. “Just a month earlier, I had jumped 6.75 metres, my personal best. I knew I had the range and continued working towards my goal,” Ancy says.
Ancy started the year with a bronze at the Asian Indoor Championships in February. Two gold medals in the domestic circuit in April added to her confidence, until she leaped into the record books. Her mark is the best by an Asian athlete this season and augurs well for the Asian Games in September. “I want to attain the seven-metre mark at the Asian Games,” Ancy says. And perhaps land a gold along the way.
