Vithya Ramraj breaks PT Usha’s 400m hurdles record in Asian Games bronze

Vithya Ramraj broke PT Usha’s 42-year-old Indian record in the women’s 400-metre hurdles by clocking 54.75 seconds at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The 26-year-old’s run, on a rain-soaked track, improved the mark of 55.42 set by Usha. It also made Ramraj the first Indian woman to complete the event in under 55 seconds.

She won bronze in the race. The result was part of a three-medal campaign. Ramraj helped India win gold in the women’s 4x400m relay and silver in the mixed 4x400m relay.

The record had particular significance because she had matched Usha’s mark in the heats at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years earlier, before taking bronze in the final in 55.68 seconds. Breaking the record had proved difficult since then. The supplied report says Ramraj ran 56.23 seconds in 2024 and 56.04 in 2025.

An ankle injury at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships forced her into rehabilitation and delayed her return to top form. Ramraj has trained with coach Nehpal Singh since 2021. Their work intensified over the past year as they prepared for the Asian Games.

Singh continued to push her after the record, with Ramraj saying he was never satisfied with a performance and always sought further improvement. Her next target is to run below 54 seconds, a goal she and her coach believe is possible. Ramraj also credited the support she received from the Railways, the Sports Ministry, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and the Tamil Nadu government.

Her father, Ramraj, a truck driver, had borrowed money to buy equipment for Vithya and her twin sister Nithya when they began athletics. He had hoped for a gold medal in the hurdles, but told the report that breaking Usha’s record felt like winning gold to him.