India’s Ancy Sojan won the silver medal in the women’s long jump at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Sunday after a dramatic finish in Nagoya.
Ancy had been in the gold-medal position for most of the final, but China’s Huang Yingying produced her best jump on the final attempt to snatch the top spot.
Huang jumped 6.55m with her last effort, finishing just two centimetres ahead of Ancy, who recorded a best of 6.53m. China’s Mengyi Tan took the bronze medal with 6.46m.
India’s Shaili Singh finished fourth with a best effort of 6.42m.
Ancy Leads From the Start
Ancy got off to a strong start, jumping 6.49m with her opening attempt. Her second effort was ruled a foul, but she remained in front thanks to her first jump.
Shaili started with 6.25m before improving to 6.34m in her second attempt. She produced the same distance with her third jump and stayed in the medal race as the competition moved into the final rounds.
The fourth round brought another twist. Shaili improved to 6.41m after asking officials to check her jump, moving into third place.
Ancy could only manage 6.31m in the same round, but her opening 6.49m was still enough to keep her at the top.
Huang Takes the Lead With Final Jump
The contest became even tighter in the fifth round when Huang matched Ancy’s 6.49m.
Ancy responded straight away. She produced 6.53m with her fifth attempt and once again moved into first place.
However, Huang had one final opportunity.
The Chinese jumper made the most of it, producing a 6.55m effort with her final jump to move two centimetres ahead of Ancy. The Indian could not improve her mark with her last attempt and had to settle for silver.
Shaili Misses Out on Bronze
Shaili was also in the fight for a medal until the final stages.
Her 6.41m jump in the fourth round moved her into third, and she improved slightly to 6.42m in the fifth. But China’s Mengyi Tan delivered a 6.46m effort with her final jump to move past the Indian.
Shaili eventually finished fourth with 6.42m.
Another Big Medal for Ancy
The silver adds another major medal to what has been a standout 2026 season for Ancy.
Earlier this year, she set a new Indian women’s long jump record with a 6.88m effort at a World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar. She broke Anju Bobby George’s long-standing national record of 6.83m.
Ancy’s Asian Games silver also adds to the medal she won at the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, underlining her rise as one of India’s leading long jumpers.