Vithya Ramraj Sets New National Record with Bronze at Asian Games 2026

Vithya Ramraj Achieves Historic Bronze Medal

On Monday, Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj made headlines by securing a bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026. She achieved a personal best time of 54.75 seconds, breaking a national record that had been in place since 1984. Vithya successfully cleared all ten hurdles, finishing third in the final held in Aichi-Nagoya, as reported by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

This remarkable performance surpassed the previous national record of 55.42 seconds, which was set by the iconic PT Usha during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Notably, Vithya had matched this record earlier in 2023.

Medal Standings

In the race, Mariam Kareem from the UAE clinched the gold medal, achieving a Games record with a time of 54.31 seconds. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems secured the silver medal with a time of 54.58 seconds.

Vithya's impressive time of 54.75 seconds not only earned her the bronze but also marked a significant milestone as she became the first Indian woman to break the long-standing national record in this event. This achievement comes 42 years after Usha set the previous record, placing Vithya at the forefront of Indian athletics.

Additionally, fellow Indian athlete Anu Raghavan also delivered a commendable performance, finishing fifth with a personal best of 55.88 seconds.

India's Medal Count

With this latest achievement, India's overall medal tally at the Asian Games has reached 40, which includes four gold, 17 silver, and 19 bronze medals. Currently, India stands in 12th place in the medal rankings.