Sports
oi-Prakash KL
Vithya Ramraj has added another major chapter to her athletics career after winning bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
The 28-year-old athlete from Coimbatore clocked a personal best of 54.75 seconds in the final on Monday, September 28. More significantly, her timing bettered the long-standing national record of 55.42 seconds set by legendary Indian athlete P T Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Vithya Ramraj won bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games with a personal best time of 54.75 seconds, breaking P T Usha’s 1984 national record, and also secured a silver medal in the 4x400m mixed relay.
Vithya finished behind UAE’s Mariam Kareem, who won gold in a Games-record 54.31 seconds, and Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems, who took silver with a personal best of 54.58 seconds.
The bronze was Vithya’s second medal at the 2026 Asian Games. She had earlier won silver as part of India’s 4x400m mixed relay team.
Who Is Vithya Ramraj?
Born on September 20, 1998, Vithya Ramraj hails from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. She has emerged as one of India’s prominent 400m hurdlers and has represented the country at major international competitions.
Athletics, however, runs in the family. Vithya’s twin sister, Nithya Ramraj, is also an athlete. The sisters have been closely associated with Indian athletics and have often spoken about supporting each other through their sporting careers.
Vithya’s rise on the international stage became particularly noticeable at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She won bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles and also returned with a silver medal from the 4x400m mixed relay.
She was subsequently part of India’s women’s 4x400m relay squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Vithya Ramraj’s 2026 Asian Games Journey
The 2026 Asian Games have turned into another memorable outing for the Tamil Nadu athlete.
Vithya first helped India secure silver in the 4x400m mixed relay. She then produced the biggest individual performance of her campaign in the 400m hurdles final.
Her 54.75-second run not only earned her a bronze medal but also erased P T Usha’s 55.42-second national record that had stood for more than four decades.
The mark also made Vithya the first Indian woman to dip below the 55-second barrier in the 400m hurdles.
A Record That Once Belonged To PT Usha
The significance of Vithya’s achievement lies in the name attached to the record she broke.
P T Usha, one of India’s most celebrated track and field athletes, set the 55.42-second mark at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The record remained untouched for 42 years before Vithya lowered it in Aichi-Nagoya.
Interestingly, Usha is currently the president of the Indian Olympic Association and was present at the Asian Games when Vithya surpassed her mark.
Vithya Ramraj’s Major Achievements
Vithya’s recent bronze is part of a steady international career that has included medals at the Asian Games and an Olympic appearance.
She won bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles and silver in the 4x400m mixed relay at the 2023 Asian Games. In 2024, she was part of India’s women’s 4x400m relay squad at the Paris Olympics.
At the 2026 Asian Games, she added another silver in the mixed relay before setting a new national record and winning bronze in the individual 400m hurdles.
Her latest performance has now placed Vithya Ramraj’s name alongside one of the most enduring records in Indian athletics.
