22 years.
That's how long Anju Bobby George's name sat at the top of Indian women's long jump.
Untouched. Untouchable. Almost mythical.
Until today.
In Bhubaneswar, on Day 4 of the National Inter-State Championships, a 25-year-old Navy officer from Thrissur did something nobody had managed since 2004.
She out-jumped a legend.
Her name is Ancy Sojan.
Her weapon? A fifth attempt that will be replayed for years.
📏 6.88m.
5 centimetres past Anju's iconic 6.83m — the mark set at the 2004 Athens Olympics, in a moment etched into Indian sporting memory.
And Ancy didn't sneak up on it either. Look at her series:
Three jumps over 6.69m in a single afternoon.
That's not a fluke. That's a coronation.
She's not new. She's just been building.
👉 Born March 1, 2001, in Thrissur, Kerala.
👉 Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy.
👉 Silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou (6.63m).
👉 Silver at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.
👉 Bronze at the 2026 Asian Indoor Championships.
Every season, the bar moved. Every meet, a centimetre more.
And today, the ceiling finally cracked.
This wasn't just a record.
It was also her Asian Games qualification mark, ticked off in the loudest way possible.
No selection drama. No nervous wait. Just a stamp on the ticket — written in chalk dust and history.
Anju Bobby George's record wasn't just a number.
It was the gold standard — the jump nobody dared touch for two decades. An entire generation of Indian long jumpers came and went under its shadow.
And then a Navy officer from Kerala walked onto the runway in Bhubaneswar…
and quietly closed a 22-year chapter of Indian athletics.
New name at the top. New era beginning.
Remember the date — June 27, 2026. The day Ancy Sojan stopped chasing a legend and became one.
That's all for now!
