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India concluded their World Athletics U20 Championships campaign with three medals after national senior record holder Pooja Singh finished seventh in the women’s high jump final.

The 19-year-old entered the competition among the leading contenders after setting a national senior record of 1.93m earlier this year. However, she could manage only 1.84m in the final before failing all three attempts at 1.87m.

Australia’s Izobelle Louison-Roe won gold with a 1.92m clearance, while Hungary’s Lilianna Batori and Spain’s Aitana Alonso shared the remaining podium places after clearing 1.90m.

Pooja had enjoyed an impressive season before the championships. She won gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in May with her record-setting 1.93m jump and is also the reigning champion at the Senior Asian Athletics Championships.

India’s women’s 4x400m relay quartet of Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary and Thiya Arumugam finished ninth and last in the final in 3:45.28. The United States won gold in 3:29.15, followed by Australia with silver in 3:31.39 and Great Britain with bronze in 3:32.08.

India’s three-medal haul comprised two silver medals and one bronze, matching the country’s tally from the 2021 and 2022 editions.

Ashish Yadav opened India’s account with silver in the men’s javelin throw, while Basant Kumar Meghwal won another silver in the men’s high jump. Shahnavaz Khan secured bronze in the men’s long jump.

India’s medal presence at the World Athletics U20 Championships has grown significantly in recent editions. Between 2002 and 2018, the country won four medals, including gold for Neeraj Chopra in the men’s javelin in 2016 and Hima Das in the women’s 400m in 2018.

Seema Antil won India’s first medal at the championships, taking discus throw silver in 2002, while Navjeet Kaur Dhillon won bronze in the same event in 2014.

India added three medals in 2021, including silver for Amit in the men’s 10,000m race walk and Shaili Singh in the women’s long jump, besides bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay. In 2022, Selva Prabhu Thirumaran won triple jump silver, the mixed 4x400m relay team took silver and Rupal Chaudhary claimed bronze in the women’s 400m. India won one medal in 2024, with Aarti securing bronze in the women’s 10,000m race walk.