Aichi-Nagoya: Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj produced a record-breaking performance to win bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games on Monday, surpassing the national record held by legendary athlete PT Usha since 1984.
Vithya clocked a personal best of 54.75 seconds in the final, finishing third after clearing all 10 hurdles. Her performance improved the previous national record of 55.42 seconds, set by Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 26-year-old had equalled Usha’s long-standing mark in 2023 and finally moved past it in Aichi-Nagoya, ending a 42-year wait for a new Indian record in the event.
UAE’s Mariam Kareem took the gold with a Games-record time of 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems secured silver in 54.58 seconds.
Vithya’s run also marked a significant improvement on her previous personal best and made her the first Indian woman to break the 55-second barrier in the 400m hurdles.
Another Indian in the final, Anu Raghavan, also recorded a personal best of 55.88 seconds but finished fifth.
Vithya’s bronze took India’s overall medal tally at the Games to 40, comprising four gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals. India were placed 12th in the medal standings.
