Asian Games 2026: Vithya Ramraj breaks PT Usha's record for bronze
Synopsis
Vithya Ramraj won the bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026. She broke legendary PT Usha's 42-year-old national record, clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds, and expressed her surprise and happiness.
Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj expressed immense happiness after winning the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 and breaking legendary PT Usha’s national record. Ramraj said she was surprised to finish under 56 seconds and looked forward to celebrating with her mother’s food back home.
Ramraj clinched the bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday, clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds and breaking a national record that had stood since 1984.
'Never thought I would go below the 56-second barrier'
"I'm so happy. I don't know how to express this. I never thought I would go below the 56-second barrier... After the result came, I was so happy. I never thought, even in my dreams, that I would finish in such a good time. I am missing my mom's food. I will go home and eat my mom's food," Ramraj told ANI after the event.
Breaking a 42-Year-Old Record
Ramraj cleared all 10 hurdles to finish third in the final, producing a record-breaking performance in Aichi-Nagoya.
She broke the previous national record of 55.42 seconds, set by legendary Indian athlete PT Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Vithya had earlier equalled the same mark in 2023.
Mariam Kareem of the UAE won the gold medal with a Games record time of 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems took silver after clocking 54.58 seconds.
Vithya’s 54.75-second effort not only secured her the bronze medal but also marked a significant improvement on her previous best, as she became the first Indian to surpass the long-standing 55.42-second national record in the women’s 400m hurdles.
The achievement comes 42 years after Usha established the record, with Vithya now taking the top spot in the Indian record books in the event.