Anju Bobby George Major Medals
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Commonwealth Games, Manchester | Bronze |
| 2002 | Asian Games, Busan | Gold |
| 2003 | World Championships, Paris | Bronze (6.70 m) |
| 2003 | Afro-Asian Games, Hyderabad | Gold |
| 2004 | Olympic Games, Athens | 5th (6.83 m, then national record) |
| 2005 | Asian Championships, Incheon | Gold |
| 2005 | World Athletics Final, Monte Carlo | Gold (upgraded from silver) |
| 2006 | Asian Indoor Championships, Pattaya | Silver |
| 2006 | South Asian Games, Colombo | Gold (Games record 6.42 m) |
| 2006 | Asian Games, Doha | Silver |
| 2007 | Asian Championships, Amman | Silver |
| 2008 | Asian Indoor Championships, Doha | Silver |
Anju Bobby George Career Journey
Paris 2003: India’s First World Medal
At the 2003 World Championships in Paris, Anju cleared 6.70 m to win bronze, becoming the first Indian ever to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships. It remains one of the defining moments in Indian track and field. The same year she won gold at the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad.
Athens 2004 and the 2005 World Athletics Final
At the 2004 Athens Olympics she produced the best jump of her life, 6.83 m, to finish fifth and set a national record. In 2005 she won the Asian Championships in Incheon and finished second at the World Athletics Final in Monte Carlo behind Russia’s Tatyana Kotova. Years later, re-testing of Kotova’s samples led to her disqualification, and Anju was officially upgraded to gold. She has described that Monte Carlo competition as the best performance of her career.
Later Career
She remained one of Asia’s leading long jumpers, winning silver at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, the 2007 Asian Championships in Amman and two Asian Indoor Championships, along with a Games-record gold at the 2006 South Asian Games. She competed at her second Olympics in Beijing in 2008 before stepping back from competition.
Anju Bobby George Records and Milestones
- First Indian athlete to win a World Athletics Championships medal (bronze, Paris 2003).
- Gold at the 2005 World Athletics Final, after being upgraded from silver.
- 6.83 m long jump at Athens 2004, the Indian women’s record for 22 years until Ancy Sojan jumped 6.88 m on 27 June 2026.
- Asian Games champion (2002) and Asian champion (2005).
- Personal best of 13.67 m in the triple jump (2002).
- Competed at the elite level with a single kidney.
Anju Bobby George Awards and Honours
- Arjuna Award (2002)
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, now the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2003)
- Padma Shri (2004)
- BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)
- World Athletics Woman of the Year Award (2021), for her work developing young athletes
- Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Athletics Federation of India awards (June 2026)
