It is still rare, almost surreal, to hear India mentioned alongside winter sports. Snow, ice, and sub-zero arenas have never been India’s natural playground. Yet, every once in a while, an athlete emerges who refuses to be limited by geography or tradition. When that happens, it feels like the country collectively pauses, looks up, and smiles with pride. That moment arrived in Salt Lake City, USA, between January 29 and February 1, 2026, when a 19-year-old from Mumbai skated faster than any Indian junior ever has on the world stage. His name is Eklavya Jagal—and with one breathtaking race, he announced that Indian winter sports have a future.

A Record That Changed the Script

At the ISU Short Track Junior World Championships, Eklavya Jagal clocked an astonishing 42.921 seconds in the 500 metres event. It was not just a personal best. It was a new Indian national record and the fastest time ever recorded by an Indian junior short track speed skater at a world championship. In a sport measured in milliseconds, this performance carried weight far beyond the stopwatch. It placed India firmly on the international short track map and confirmed Eklavya’s status as the fastest short track speed skater India has produced so far. Along with the 500 m record, he continues to hold national records in the 1000 m and 1500 m distances as well.

Born in Mumbai, Built on Ice

Eklavya Jagal was born on February 14, 2007, in Mumbai, a city more associated with humidity than ice rinks. His journey into skating began not on frozen tracks, but on wheels. At the age of 10, he started as an inline roller skater, displaying early speed and balance that hinted at something special. His first experience with ice skating was far from glamorous. Practising part-time at a 45-metre recreational rink inside the iSkate facility at Ambience Mall, Gurugram, Eklavya trained in conditions that would be considered basic by international standards. But limitations never slowed his ambition. Instead, they sharpened it.

Short track speed skating is a winter sport rarely associated with India, a country known more for sun-soaked stadiums than frozen arenas. Yet, 19-year-old Eklavya Jagal is changing that perception, racing at breathtaking speeds on ice and making India visible in one of the fastest and most demanding disciplines of the Winter Olympics.