Commonwealth Games 2026: All you need to know about Priyanka Goswami

Priyanka Goswami has been a leading member of India's race-walking squad over the past few years. She scripted history becoming the first Indian woman to win a race walking medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

A two-time Olympian, Priyanka represented the country at the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 17th and 41st respectively.

The 30-year-old holds national records in multiple distances including the 10,000m (43:38.83), 20km (1:28:45), and 35km race walks.

Early Days

Hailing from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka was born on March 10, 1996. Her father, Madanpal Goswami, worked as a bus conductor. She started her sporting journey with gymnastics in XI grade when a gymnastics coach visited her school and she volunteered to train. Priyanka pursued gymnastics for some months before switching to athletics.

She was attracted to the sport due to the prize money attached to it. Currently, Priyanka works as an Office Superintendent with the Indian Railways.

Rising through the ranks

Priyanka's breakthrough came when she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a national record time of 1:28.45s in women's 20km race walk during Indian Racewalking Championship. She built on that performance in the 35km race walk with a time of 2:56.34sec.

Priyanka finished 17th overall in Tokyo and at the 2024 Paris Olympics she finished 41st.

She is a silver medalist at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in 20km race walk.

At the 2026 World Race Walking Team Championships in Brasilia, finishing 10th in the marathon race. This helped India secure fifth place in the women’s team event.

Eyes on another podium

Priyanka’s strongest performance came in 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games when she became the first Indian woman to win a race walk medal. She settled for a silver in the 10,000m race walk, clocking 43:38.83s, which was a national record.

Priyanka is working with her childhood coach VK Bajpai and national coach Ronald Weigel, and will be competing in the women’s 10,000m race walk at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

She has time and again proved that she can convert hard work into national record runs, Asian-level medals or even world stage finishes.