18-year-old Kazakhstani sets record at World Championships in the USA

The 18-year-old athlete cleared 4.10 meters in the qualification round, securing her place in the championship final.

“This result also became a new Kazakhstan U20 national record,” the NOC press service said.

Cherkashina improved her own previous best by 10 centimeters. At the Asian U20 Championships in Hong Kong at the end of May, she cleared 4.00 meters to win the silver medal.

At the tournament in Oregon, no athlete managed to clear a height higher than 4.10 meters during qualification. The final, scheduled for August 8, will feature 13 competitors.

Anna Cherkashina – Kazakhstan’s rising track and field star

The 18-year-old pole vaulter won her first senior national title last season and successfully defended it this year, becoming a two-time Kazakhstan champion.

She has also come within striking distance of the senior national record, which has been held by Olga Lapina since 2014 at 4.20 meters.

According to the Kazakhstan Athletics Federation, Anna is the first athlete in the country’s history to qualify for the World U20 Championships in the women’s pole vault.

Photo: qazathletics.kz

Kazakhstan’s squad for the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships includes 11 athletes: Bogdan Goncharov, Kirill Savchenko, Gleb Gladilov, Maksim Sazhnev, Sherkhan Yegizbay, Yegor Strukov, Sofya Kidenko, Antonina Chernyshova, Alina Golovina, Anna Cherkashina, and Margarita Storozhenko.

Earlier, during the Kazakhstan Athletics Championships, it was not only the athletes who attracted attention but also a cameraman. Ibrai Tulemissov from Shymkent became a social media sensation after keeping pace with the runners while filming the race.