Vithya Ramraj Shatters National Record with Bronze in 400m Hurdles at Asian Games 2026

Historic Achievement for Indian Athlete

In a remarkable display of athleticism, Indian runner Vithya Ramraj secured a bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday. She achieved a personal best time of 54.75 seconds, breaking a national record that had been in place since 1984.

Vithya successfully navigated all ten hurdles, finishing third in the final, as reported by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Her 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.

The gold medal was claimed by Mariam Kareem from the UAE, who set a new Games record with a time of 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems took home the silver with a time of 54.58 seconds.

Vithya's achievement not only earned her a bronze medal but also marked a significant milestone as she became the first Indian woman to break the long-standing national record in the 400m hurdles. This accomplishment comes 42 years after Usha set the previous record, placing Vithya at the pinnacle of Indian athletics in this event.

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

With this latest success, India's overall medal tally at the Games has reached 40, including four gold, 17 silver, and 19 bronze medals, positioning the country at 12th place in the medal standings.