Ancy Sojan Edappilly jumped 6.53 metres at the 2026 Asian Games. She won silver. Gold was just two centimetres away.
Some people in India focused on her hair and jewellery, as though they were somehow part of those missing two centimetres.
There has already been plenty written about the sexism and cyber abuse surrounding the incident. That is not where I want to take this piece.
Instead, I want to look at Ancy’s story from a more personal angle, alongside a few highly decorated contemporary women long jumpers. Not just for what they achieve athletically, but for how they carry themselves, express their identities, and make their bodies, kit, accessories and personal style part of their sporting identity and preparation for performance.
As a runner, I get it
I’ve been running long distances for more than two decades, and over the years I’ve realised how personal the relationship between a runner, their body and their equipment can become.
The shoes I race in matter. So do the accessories I choose. Even small things, such as whether socks feel comfortable or shorts rub, can matter over a long run.
When everything feels right, you stop thinking about it.
It becomes part of the process.
I have my own preferences, particularly when I race. I choose different shoes depending on the distance, whether it’s a 5K or a 10K. A lightweight, highly breathable running singlet, with a deep neckline and an open back that keeps things cool. Three-inch split shorts for breathability. The rather unstylish Garmin watch I rely on for accurate data. My flat-brim baseball cap, partly to keep my long hair under control and partly because I simply like the way it looks. Fully closed sunglasses when it is hot and humid. Compression socks because of the shin problems I have experienced.
Even the way I put the whole kit together matters to me.
British sprinter Amy Hunt recently told the BBC that “the glam definitely helps that mentality because sprinting is such a confidence game.” She described “looking good and feeling good” as part of getting herself into the right mindset before competing.
A sports psychologist quoted in the same BBC piece makes the connection more cautiously. Looking good may help an athlete feel more confident, comfortable and like herself, which can influence emotional and psychological states relevant to performance.
There is a broader sports psychology argument here too. Research on pre-performance routines suggests that consistent routines before competition can help athletes create the psychological state they need to perform, particularly under pressure, with a meta-analysis finding a positive effect on sporting performance.
That distinction is important. Looking good does not make an athlete perform better by itself. But feeling comfortable, confident and like yourself can be part of preparing to perform.
For me, that is where body, personal style and performance come together.
And it is something I have started noticing more closely in other athletes too.
Three Long Jumpers. Three Different Athletes.
Take Tara Davis-Woodhall.
Personal style is highly visible in how she presents herself as an athlete. Her hair, nails, jewellery, outfits and overall presentation have become part of how she expresses herself. At the 2024 World Indoor Championships, she arrived at the arena wearing her trademark Stetson. She went on to win the gold medal with a 7.07m jump.
Her performances provide a useful counterpoint to the idea that attention to appearance somehow indicates a lack of seriousness. She followed her 2024 indoor title with Olympic gold in Paris, and then became world champion in 2025.
Her style and her performance exist alongside each other.
Ivana Vuleta offers another example.
She has spoken about beauty and personal appearance in sport, and about how presenting herself in a way that feels authentic can make her feel good and confident. Her hair, nails and makeup have also been part of her public image.
At the same time, she built one of the most decorated careers in women’s long jump. She became world champion in 2023 with a Serbian record of 7.14m, at the age of 33. She is also a two-time world indoor champion, an Olympic bronze medallist and a six-time Diamond League Final winner.
Malaika Mihambo presents a different version of the same idea.
Her style is more understated, but she has also experimented with her appearance and hair as a form of personal expression.
Her achievements are among the strongest in the event: two world titles, Olympic gold in Tokyo, Olympic silver in Paris and a Diamond League Final title.
The examples of Tara Davis-Woodhall, Ivana Vuleta and Malaika Mihambo show that there is no single way to look, dress or present yourself at the highest level of long jump.
And that is where Ancy fits into the conversation.
Two Centimetres
So, back to Ancy.
She jumped 6.53 metres to win Asian Games silver, with just two centimetres separating her from gold.
Not the necklace.
Not the hair.
Not the jewellery.
Two centimetres.
Ancy has spoken about her hairstyle and accessories making her feel comfortable and confident. She has also spoken about wearing bangles when she competed as a school athlete.
Perhaps that is the simplest way to look at it.
An athlete can care about how she looks without that becoming the story of her performance.
In the end, Ancy’s 6.53-metre jump was measured in metres and centimetres, not in hair, jewellery or appearance.
Two centimetres separated her from gold.
Sources & Further Reading
World Athletics: Ancy SOJAN EDAPPILLY | Profile
Onmanorama: Asian Games silver medallist Ancy Sojan slams cyber attacks over her choice of jewellery, hairstyle
BBC News: Amy Hunt: Can getting glammed up really improve your performance?
International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology: The effectiveness of pre-performance routines in sports: a meta-analysis
World Athletics: Davis-Woodhall secures world indoor long jump crown in style
World Athletics: Davis-Woodhall takes long jump gold in Paris as Mihambo takes silver and Moore adds second bronze
World Athletics: Davis-Woodhall adds world long jump gold to Olympic title in Tokyo
Vogue Adria: Ivana Španović
World Athletics: Vuleta soars to elusive long jump crown in Budapest
Radio 7: Mihambo: «Kann mich nicht mit großen Gesten anfreunden»
World Athletics: Malaika MIHAMBO | Profile
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