Archive · 9 Aug 2026
Ashish Yadav opens India's U20 medal account with javelin silver
A young Indian athlete named Ashish Yadav went to a big world competition for athletes under 20 years old.
The competition is called the World Athletics U20 Championships and it took place in Eugene, USA.
On Friday, Ashish threw a long spear called a javelin.
He threw it 74.09 meters, which was far enough to win a silver medal, the second-best prize.
He was the first Indian athlete to win a medal at this year's championships.
A South African athlete named Jan-Hendrik Heymans won the gold medal by throwing 80.50 meters.
Another Indian athlete, T Dharanidharan, also threw the javelin and finished sixth.
An Indian athlete named Pooja Singh cleared a bar in the women's high jump and made it to the final round.
Ashish's silver-winning throw was 40 centimeters short of his personal best of 74.49 meters.
He set that personal best back in March, at a competition in Patiala, India.
Ashish Yadav won silver in the men's javelin throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, opening India's medal account.
South Africa's Jan-Hendrik Heymans won gold with 80.50m and Dominica's Addison James took bronze with 73.89m, while T Dharanidharan finished sixth with 72.35m.
The 19-year-old Yadav was 40cm short of his personal best of 74.49m and became the second Indian, after two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, to win javelin silver at the championships.
Pooja Singh qualified for the women's high jump final by clearing 1.79m, and long jumpers Shahnavaz Khan and Jithin Arjuna advanced to the finals.
In the men's 400m, Mohommed Ashfaq finished eighth in 46.20s, while American Jayden Deleon won gold in a championships record 44.47s and Quincy Wilson took silver in 44.62s.
- Who
- Indian athletes Ashish Yadav, T Dharanidharan, Pooja Singh and Mohommed Ashfaq; gold medalist Jan-Hendrik Heymans of South Africa; bronze medalist Addison James of Dominica.
- What
- Ashish Yadav won silver in the men's javelin throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships, Pooja Singh qualified for the women's high jump final, and Mohommed Ashfaq finished eighth in the men's 400m.
- When
- Friday, day three of the championships.
- Where
- Eugene, USA.
- Why
- Yadav's third-round throw of 74.09m earned second place, opening India's medal account at the championships.
- Event
- World Athletics U20 Championships
- Location
- Eugene, USA
- Medal
- Silver (men's javelin throw)
- Medal-winning throw
- 74.09m (third round)
- Gold medalist
- Jan-Hendrik Heymans (South Africa), 80.50m
- Personal best
- 74.49m at the Indian Open Throws Competition, Patiala (March)
- Other Indian javelin finisher
- T Dharanidharan, 6th with 72.35m
- Women's high jump
- Pooja Singh qualified for the final clearing 1.79m
