Vithya Ramraj won the bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 28. She clocked a personal best of 54.75 seconds, breaking the Indian national record of 55.42 seconds that had been held by PT Usha since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

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Vithya Ramraj Sets a New National Record

Ramraj’s performance was significant because she had already come close to the national record at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She clocked 55.42 seconds in that edition and equalled PT Usha’s mark while also winning bronze.

Three years later, she improved the record by 0.67 seconds in the Aichi-Nagoya final. Her 54.75-second timing made her the first Indian woman to go below 55 seconds in the 400m hurdles.

The bronze was also Ramraj’s second medal at the 2026 Asian Games. Earlier in the competition, she was part of India’s silver-medal winning mixed 4x400m relay team. The Indian quartet of T S Manu, Poovamma Raju, Vithya Ramraj and T Vishal recorded 3:14.46.

400m Hurdles Final in Aichi-Nagoya

The final produced a closely contested race, with three athletes finishing within less than half a second of one another.

UAE athlete Mariam Kareem won the gold medal in a Games-record time of 54.31 seconds. Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems took silver after running 54.58 seconds. Ramraj finished third with 54.75 seconds. Both Zems and Ramraj recorded personal bests in the final.

Another Indian athlete, Anu Raghavan, finished fifth. She also produced a personal best of 55.88 seconds, making it a strong race for both Indian finalists.

Position	Athlete	Country	Time
1	Mariam Kareem	UAE	54.31s
2	Adelina Zems	Kazakhstan	54.58s
3	Vithya Ramraj	India	54.75s
5	Anu Raghavan	India	55.88s

PT Usha’s 42-Year-Old Record Falls

PT Usha set the earlier Indian record of 55.42 seconds in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The mark remained India’s national record in the event for more than four decades.

Ramraj first matched the record at the 2023 Asian Games. Her latest performance in Nagoya finally took the mark below 55 seconds. The change also represents a major update in the Indian record books for women’s 400m hurdles.

Usha, who is now the president of the Indian Olympic Association, congratulated Ramraj after the record-breaking performance. Usha described the breaking of old records as part of the progress of sport and the next generation of athletes.

Ramraj’s Second Medal at the Asian Games

The bronze medal adds to a successful Asian Games campaign for Ramraj. Her first medal at Aichi-Nagoya came in the mixed 4x400m relay, where India finished second.

Her 400m hurdles result then gave her another medal and a new national record. She is also expected to compete in the women’s 4x400m relay later in the Games, giving her another opportunity to contribute to India’s athletics campaign.

Ramraj had also won bronze in the same individual event at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Her latest medal means she has now won the 400m hurdles bronze at two consecutive Asian Games editions. India has also continued its run of medals in this event, following Anu Raghavan’s bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.

A Strong Day for Indian Athletics

Ramraj’s record came during an active athletics programme at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Her performance was followed by another medal for India in the men’s 1500m, where Gulveer Singh won silver with a personal best of 3:36.72.

For Ramraj, the 54.75-second run combined a major personal achievement with an Asian Games medal. The new national record also moves the Indian women’s 400m hurdles mark beyond a record that had remained unchanged since 1984.