Indian athletics witnessed a monumental moment on Monday as Vithya Ramraj shattered a 42-year-old national record at the Asian Games 2026. Competing in the women's 400m hurdles final, Vithya delivered a stellar performance to secure a bronze medal and etch her name into the history books.
Clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds, Vithya surpassed the legendary PT Usha's iconic timing of 55.42 seconds, which was set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. While Vithya had equalled the long-standing record during the 2023 Asian Games, she finally managed to break the barrier in Nagoya, Japan, improving the national record by 0.67 seconds.
UAE's Mariam Karim claimed the gold medal with a Games-record time of 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstan's Adelina James took the silver with 54.58 seconds. Vithya's podium finish marks her second medal at the 2026 Games, following her silver in the mixed relay event, cementing her status as one of India's premier track stars.
