Seema Kumari etched her name in Indian athletics history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, clinching a bronze medal in the women’s 10,000m and ending the country’s 16-year wait for a podium finish in the event.
Seema Kumari made history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya after adding a bronze medal to her nascent career as a long-distance athlete. She clocked 32:50:05 in the women’s 10,000m to clinch a bronze, helping India seal its first athletics medal at the continental showpiece.
The Indian long-distance runner finished behind gold medal-winner Winfred Yavi of Bahrain (32:39:18) and Yingying Huang of China (32:41:54), who won silver.
Seema’s historic medal ended a 16-year wait for a medal in the women’s 10,000m event at the Asian Games. The last time the nation had won a medal in the event was in 2010 when Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut clinched a 1-2 finish on the podium.
Seema makes history at Asian Games
Born on January 10, 2001, in Himachal Pradesh, Seema has represented India at several major international competitions, establishing herself as a consistent performer on both the national and international stage.
Her unwavering determination and remarkable consistency have helped her emerge as one of the country’s leading long-distance runners, excelling in the 5,000m and 10,000m events.
In March 2026, Seema delivered a personal best of 32:02:43 in the 10,000m event at the TEN in California, where she finished fifth in a field that included international competitors. She also bettered her 5,000m personal best to 15:16:20 in April 2026, showcasing immense promise in her growing senior career.
More from SportsSeema’s major accomplishments
Seema has flourished in her senior career so far, having won major accomplishments in the past few years. In 2024, she won a gold medal in the senior women’s race at the 2024 Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong. She followed it up with a silver medal-winning performance at the 2025 FISU World University Games.
The Indian long-distance runner also won gold at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in 2026, and an Asian Games bronze medal became the latest accolade in her career.