Athletics World Records: Does any Indian athlete hold a world record in athletics events?

Indian athletes have achieved remarkable national and continental records, but they don't hold any world records in athletic events.

Indian athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Anju Bobby George have achieved remarkable success in athletics. Neeraj Chopra set the men’s javelin throw national record of 89.94m at the Stockholm Diamond League in 2022. He is the only Indian to have won a gold medal at the senior World Athletics Championships.

Long jumper Anju Bobby George achieved a historic bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships, playing a significant role in paving the way for Indian athletes' success in track and field. Let's take a look at current world record holders in top athletic events:

Men’s Athletics World Records World Records:

100 meters: Usain Bolt (9.58 seconds)
200 meters: Usain Bolt (19.19 seconds)
400 meters: Wayde van Niekerk (43.03 seconds)
Marathon: Eliud Kipchoge (2:01:09)
High jump: Javier Sotomayor (2.45 meters)
Pole vault: Armand Duplantis (6.21 meters)
Long jump: Mike Powell (8.95 meters)
Triple jump: Jonathan Edwards (18.29 meters)
Shot put: Ryan Crouser (23.56 meters)
Discus throw: Jürgen Schult (74.08 meters)
Hammer throw: Yuriy Sedykh (86.74 meters)
Javelin throw: Jan Železný (98.48 meters)

Women’s World Records:

100 meters: Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49 seconds)
200 meters: Florence Griffith-Joyner (21.34 seconds)
400 meters: Marita Koch (47.60 seconds)
Marathon: Brigid Kosgei (2:14:04)
High jump: Stefka Kostadinova (2.09 meters)
Pole vault: Yelena Isinbayeva (5.06 meters)
Long jump: Galina Chistyakova (7.52 meters)
Triple jump: Yulimar Rojas (15.74 meters)
Shot put: Natalya Lisovskaya (22.63 meters)
Discus throw: Gabriele Reinsch (76.80 meters)
Hammer throw: Anita Włodarczyk (82.98 meters)
Javelin throw: Barbora Špotáková (72.28 meters)

Indian athletes with the potential to break athletics world records in their career

Many talented Indian athletes have the potential to break world records in their careers, with Neeraj Chopra leading the list. He has a personal best of 89.94m, and although the current world record, 98.48m, is a bit far, with age by his side, Chopra does have a good chance of nearing the record in coming years.

Priyanka Goswami has performed exceptionally well in race walking and is in contention for the world record in the event. The world record in the women's 20km racewalk event is 1:23:49, while Goswami’s personal best is 1:37:00.15. Again a big difference, but if she keeps improving 2-3 minutes every year, albeit a very hard task, she can get near the world-record mark.

Akshdeep Singh is another racewalker in contention for the world record. With a personal best of 1:19:55 in 20km racewalk, Singh is very close to the world record of 1:16:36, and with age by age, he could very well break the mark in the coming years.