Vithya Ramraj wins Asian Games bronze and breaks 400m hurdles record

Vithya Ramraj won bronze in the women’s 400-metre hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games on Monday, setting a new Indian national record with a time of 54.75 seconds. The performance surpassed PT Usha’s national record of 55.42 seconds, which had stood for 42 years. Ramraj had entered the final after spending three years trying to break the 55-second barrier and improve the personal best she set in 2022.

Ramraj said her approach was to focus on the time she could control rather than chase a medal or a historic mark. “Medal is in our hands, but time is not,” she said after the race, explaining that she had targeted her personal best. Her coach, Nehpal Singh Rathore, had told her before the final that she could run 54 seconds.

His plan was for her to remain controlled through the first 300 metres, maintain her effort through the sixth hurdle and then give everything over the final stretch. Ramraj followed that strategy and crossed the line in 54.75 seconds. The result brought her a bronze medal, a personal best and the national record in the same race.

The gold medal went to the United Arab Emirates’ Mariam Kareem, who set a Games record of 54.31 seconds. Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems won silver in a personal-best time of 54.58 seconds. Ramraj’s result came while PT Usha was present at the Games, according to the source material.

The achievement ended Usha’s long hold on the national record, although Ramraj said her primary focus had been her own performance rather than the legacy mark. The race gave India a bronze medal and a new national benchmark in the event. Ramraj said she was pleased with the timing and described the result as the product of her focused preparation.