Niu Chunge Breaks Asian Pole Vault Record with 4.73m Leap

Chinese pole vaulter Niu Chunge has shattered the Asian women’s pole vault record, clearing 4.73 meters at the 2026 National Athletics Grand Prix in Bengbu, Anhui Province. The 26-year-old athlete surpassed the previous Asian record of 4.72m — set by compatriot Li Ling in May 2019 — by a single centimeter, marking a historic milestone for Chinese athletics, according to People’s Daily.

The Record-Breaking Performance

Competing on home soil in Bengbu on May 31, Niu delivered a flawless performance at the Bengbu Sports Center Stadium. She began her campaign at 4.30m, clearing the height on her first attempt to secure the championship title. She then successfully cleared 4.50m and 4.66m before making a bold decision to raise the bar directly to 4.73m — challenging Li Ling’s seven-year-old Asian record.

As Xinhua News Agency reported, Niu needed only a single attempt to clear the historic height. The jump also improved upon her previous personal best of 4.65m, set in May 2025.

“4.73 meters, cleared in one jump!” wrote People’s Daily reporter Liu Shuoyang, capturing the drama of the moment. The People’s Daily App reported that the performance drew nearly one million views on its platform alone, reflecting the widespread interest in the achievement.

The competition featured 12 athletes in total. Zhang Zixuan of Anhui and Ge Meng of Shandong both failed three attempts at 4.30m and tied for second place, underscoring Niu’s dominance throughout the event. The evening session saw Niu as the standout performer, with Xinhua noting that her strength “stood out prominently” among the field.

A Rising Star’s Journey

Niu Chunge’s ascent to the top of Asian women’s pole vault has been years in the making. Born on February 14, 2000, in Anhui Province, she first gained international attention by winning gold at the World U18 Championships in Nairobi in 2017 with a clearance of 4.20m.

Her career progression has been marked by steady improvement. She won silver at the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok and bronze at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games — an event where Li Ling took gold with a then-Asian record of 4.63m. Niu competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won gold at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Earlier this year, she added the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships title in Tianjin to her growing collection of accolades.

According to Wikipedia, Niu has established herself as one of China’s most consistent medalists across both indoor and outdoor competitions.

Passing the Torch

Niu’s record represents a symbolic passing of the torch in Chinese women’s pole vault. Li Ling had dominated the event for years, holding the Asian record since May 2019 and winning gold at the 2022 Asian Games with a clearance of 4.63m. Niu had previously finished behind Li Ling at those same Asian Games, taking bronze, which makes this achievement particularly meaningful.

At 26 years old, Niu is in her prime athletic years. Her progression from 4.20m as a junior world champion in 2017 to 4.73m today — an improvement of over half a meter — suggests further room for growth. The depth of Chinese women’s pole vault is notable, with two athletes having held the Asian record in recent years, a testament to the strength of the country’s athletics development programs.

A Season of Breakthroughs for Chinese Athletics

Niu’s record is part of a broader wave of success for Chinese track and field in the 2026 season. As People’s Daily noted, national records have fallen in men’s marathon, men’s shot put, and men’s pole vault. Distance runner Wang Wenjie set a Chinese national record in the men’s 10,000m (27:47.53) on May 30 and also set a Chinese half-marathon record (1:01:15) at the 2026 Beijing Half Marathon in April.

What’s Next

With the Asian record now in her name, Niu Chunge has positioned herself as a strong contender for future international competitions, including the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Her achievement also highlights the growing depth of Chinese women’s pole vault, with two athletes — Li Ling and Niu Chunge — having held the Asian record in recent years.

The world record of 5.06m, set by Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva in 2009, remains a distant target. But Niu’s trajectory — improving by 8 centimeters in just over a year — suggests she may not be finished rewriting the record books just yet. For Chinese athletics, her success represents both a personal triumph and a signal of the nation’s rising competitiveness in global track and field.