In 2025, Indian athletics saw a surge in performances with a dozen national records being broken or significantly improved. As 2025 draws to a close, we at RevSportz look back on some standout efforts of Indian athletes. The year was headlined by the elusive 90-metre barrier breaking by Neeraj Chopra, the year of the Gulveer Singh heroics, the grit of Murali Sreeshankar who refused to let injuries dictate his destiny, Animesh breaking into sprints at the World Championships, the grit of Pooja Singh and many more.
The elusive 90-metre breached and Sachin Yadav’s brilliance
At the Doha Diamond League in May, Neeraj Chopra finally achieved what Indian fans had been demanding for years. He shattered the 90m barrier. With a throw of 90.23m, he set a new national record, becoming the first Indian to join the elite 90m club and only the third Asian. However, Chopra didn’t secure any medal at the World Championships and his historic 26-event podium streak eventually ended in Tokyo. He finished the season with six wins in nine meets, proving his status as India’s most consistent performer.
The season also gave India another star. Sachin Yadav finished a gritty fourth at the World Championships and landed silver at the Asian Championships. Yadav started his year with gold at the National Games, then struggled with injuries but made brilliant comebacks every time at the crucial stages.
Record-breaking spree on track and the rise of Gulveer Singh
The year saw the rise of Gulveer Singh. The long distance runner of India emerged as the standout performer for the country, setting a new national record of 27:00.22 in the 10,000m at ‘The TEN’ in California. He followed this by winning double gold in 5000m and 10000m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, and concluded the year on a high, finishing with a national record timing of 1:12:06 at the Tata Steel World 25k Marathon.
In the sprints, Animesh Kujur clocked a blistering 10.18s in Greece to become the fastest Indian ever, also resetting the 200m national record to 20.32s and becoming the first sprinter to reach Worlds Championships. Not to be outdone, young quarter-miler Vishal TK smashed a six-year-old 400m national record with a timing of 45.12s at the National Senior Inter-State Championships, signalling a changing of the guard in 400m.
India also saw an improvement in relay as the team cemented as a creditable force at the Asian level. The men’s 4x100m quartet of Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidar and Amlan Borgohain clocked 38.69s, shattering a 15-year-old national record at the National Open Relay carnival in Chandigarh.
Resilient leaps in jumps
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar provided the season’s grittiest story. After a career-threatening patellar tendon injury sidelined him for 18 months, his return to the sand pit was a masterclass in patience. In his comeback trail, with only 5 competitions left to secure the Worlds qualification, he leapt 8.05m on his return in Pune, securing the World Championship berth.
India’s new high jump sensation Pooja Singh’s performance at the Asian Championships was another story of resilience. Under the gloomy and slippery conditions at Gumi, South Korea, with her torn spikes patched up with kinesiology tape, she scripted a fine performance, breaking her own U-20 national record and clinched gold with an impressive leap of 1.89m.
Sarvesh Kushare gave another good performance, crossing the bar at 6.28m at the World Championships in Tokyo in high jump with his personal best effort. Although he failed to secure the podium finish but he produced the country’s best-ever performance with finishing in the top-six and reaching the final at the Worlds.
List of National Records in Track and Field
Track
100m: Animesh Kujur -10.18s
200m: Animesh Kujur – 20.32s
400m: Vishal TK – 45.12s
800m: Mohammed Afsal – 1:44.93
3000m: Gulveer Singh – 7:34.49
5000m: Gulveer Singh – 12:59.77
10000m: Gulveer Singh – 27:00.22
3000m Steeplechase: Parul Chaudhary – 9:12.46
Field and Combined
4×100m Relay: Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar, Amlan Borgohain – 38.69s
Javelin Throw: Neeraj Chopra – 90.23m
Pole Vault: Dev Meena – 5.40m
Decathlon: Tejaswin Shankar – 7826 points
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