Dev Meena cleared 5.40m during the World University Games qualification to make the final.
Dev Kumar Meena is a promising pole vaulter from Madhya Pradesh, India, initially a 400 m sprinter before switching to pole vault in 2021 under the guidance of coach Ghanshyam Yadav, at the Tatya Tope Academy in Bhopal .
📈 National Records1. 5.32 m – Set a new national and National Games record at the 38th Uttarakhand National Games in February 2025, surpassing the previous mark of 5.31 m held since 2022 by S Siva .2. 5.35 m – Improved his own record at the Federation Cup in Kochi (April 2025), securing gold and marking his third consecutive title .3. 5.40 m – Became the first Indian to clear that height at the World University Games (FISU) in July 2025, where he finished sixth overall .
🏅 International Achievements won bronze at the Asian Junior (U‑20) Athletics Championships in Dubai by clearing 5.10 m—India’s first-ever medal in pole vault at that level .Became the first Indian pole vaulter to qualify for the World Junior Championships (Lima, 2024) .
🎯 Recent Challenges while Meena continues to break national records, he has faced hurdles at the national level:Despite clearing 5.35 m at the Federation Cup, he missed the qualification mark of 5.51 m set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the Asian Athletics Championships, barring him from competition despite being the top national athlete in the discipline
