Krishna Jayasankar becomes First Indian Women to Cross 16m Mark in Indoor Shotput

By: WE staff | Monday, 3 March 2025

• Krishna Jayasankar became the first Indian woman to surpass the 16-metre mark in indoor shot put
• She set a new record with a throw of 16.03 metres at the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships 2025

Krishna Jayasankar made history by becoming the first Indian woman to surpass the 16-metre mark in indoor shotput with a throw of 16.03 metres at the mountain west indoor track and field championships 2025. The 22-year-old shattered the previous Indian indoor national record of 15.54m, set by Poornarao Rane at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in 2023.

Krishna, daughter of former Indian basketball players Prasanna and Jayasankar Menon from Chennai, claimed third place in the event with a throw of 16.03m, behind Mya Lesnar (19.02m) and Gabby Morris (17.09m). Mya is the daughter of American professional wrestler Brock Lesnar. She was in fourth place until the second-to-last round but secured a podium spot with her final throw, surpassing Makayla Long. Her previous best indoor throw was 15.03m, achieved at the same venue last month.

Krishna secured a bronze medal for her performance, which came in the final round, surpassing Colorado State’s Makayla Long, who had been in medal contention with a throw of 15.98m until then. With her bronze medal on Sunday, Krishna earned a spot to compete in the American inter-University NCAA Indoor Championships, set for March 14-15 in Virginia Beach.

It's been a great week for Indian athletes in indoor events in the U.S., with distance running star Gulveer Singh delivering a remarkable 12:59.77 in the 5000m, becoming the first Indian to break the 13-minute barrier and securing an Asia mark that qualifies him for the World Championships. India now has one high-quality indoor track in Bhubaneswar.