Pooja Singh Finishes Seventh as India’s Women’s 4x400m Relay Team Takes Ninth at World U20 Championships

India's campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2026 ended without another medal on the final day in Eugene, Oregon, as Pooja Singh finished seventh in the women's high jump final and the Indian women's 4x400m relay team placed ninth.

Pooja, who entered the competition among India's major medal hopes following a breakthrough season, cleared 1.84m in the high jump final. She successfully negotiated 1.75m, 1.80m, and 1.84m before being unable to clear 1.87m in three attempts.

The women's 4x400m quartet of Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary and Thiya Arumugam finished ninth and last in the final, clocking 3:45.28.

The results brought India's five-day campaign at the championships to a close after the country had already secured three medals through Ashish Yadav, Basant Kumar Meghwal, and Shahnawaz Khan.

Pooja Starts Strong in High Jump Final

Pooja began her high jump final with a clean series at the opening heights. The 19-year-old cleared 1.75m on her first attempt before repeating the feat at 1.80m. She then cleared 1.84m with her second attempt, keeping herself firmly in contention at that stage of the competition. The 1.84m clearance was particularly significant because only seven athletes managed to negotiate the height. Four cleared it on their first attempts, while three, including Pooja, needed two attempts.

Pooja's successful progression, therefore, stood at:

• 1.75m – first attempt

• 1.80m – first attempt

• 1.84m – second attempt

The next bar was raised to 1.87m, but Pooja could not clear the height in any of her three attempts. That ended her competition with a best mark of 1.84m and a seventh-place finish.

Pooja's seventh-place finish will be disappointing given the expectations surrounding her before the final. The Indian high jumper had enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season, winning the U20 Asian title and breaking the long-standing Indian women's high jump national record with a clearance of 1.93m. That performance had established her as one of the leading young high jumpers in the country and raised expectations ahead of the World U20 Championships.

She had also qualified for the Eugene final by clearing 1.79m in the qualification round. However, the final demanded a significantly higher standard, and Pooja's 1.84m was not enough to challenge for the medals. Australia's Izobelle Louison-Roe won the world U20 title with a clearance of 1.92m.

The result also highlighted how competitive the event was, with seven athletes clearing 1.84m before the competition moved to 1.87m. For Pooja, the experience nevertheless provides another important international championship opportunity as she continues her development.

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India's women's 4x400m relay team entered the final after securing automatic qualification from the heats. The quartet of Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary and Thiya Arumugam had finished third in their qualifying heat, clocking 3:39.53. In the final, however, India recorded 3:45.28 to finish ninth and last.

The individual splits were Bhoomika Nehate – 57.75s, Tahura Khatun – 55.37s, Tanu Chaudhary – 54.98s & Thiya Arumugam – 57.18s

The final was won by the United States, who produced a championship-leading 3:29.15. Australia finished second in 3:31.39, while Great Britain took bronze in 3:32.08. The Indian quartet therefore finished outside the medal positions, but reaching the World U20 final itself provided valuable championship experience for a young relay unit.

The final day was in contrast to the earlier stages of India's campaign, which had produced three medals. Basant Kumar Meghwal had won silver in the men's high jump after clearing 2.21m, becoming the first Indian athlete to win a high jump medal at a World-level championship. Shahnawaz Khan had also won bronze in the men's long jump with a 7.84m effort, while Ashish Yadav contributed another medal in the men's javelin throw.

Those performances made India's field-event program one of the central stories of the championships. Pooja's seventh-place finish means India could not add another medal in the final women's high jump competition, while the 4x400m relay team also missed out despite reaching the final.

For Pooja, the final should be viewed as another step in an international career that is still developing. Her season has already included a major Asian title and a 1.93m national record. The World U20 final exposed her to the pressure of competing for a medal against the strongest athletes in her age group. The experience of clearing three heights before going out at 1.87m will provide another reference point as she works towards the senior level.

The relay team faces a similar development curve. Nehate, Khatun, Chaudhary, and Arumugam now have the experience of competing in a global championship final, even though their final time was significantly slower than their qualifying performance. The exposure can be valuable as India continues to build depth in the women's 4x400m event.

The final day did not produce another podium finish for India, but the overall campaign still contained several historic performances. Three medals, including Basant's breakthrough high jump silver and Shahnawaz's long jump bronze, provided significant positives. Pooja's seventh-place finish and the women's 4x400m relay team's ninth-place result brought the competition to a close on a quieter note.

For the athletes involved, however, Eugene offered more than results. It provided experience, exposure and a measure of the level required to compete for global junior honours.

India leaves the World U20 Championships 2026 with three medals and several emerging athletes carrying valuable international experience into the next stage of their careers.