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Vithya Ramraj Shatters PT Usha's 42-Year-Old Record at Asiad, Secures Bronze
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News18•28-09-2026, 16:34
Vithya Ramraj Shatters PT Usha's 42-Year-Old Record at Asiad, Secures Bronze
- •Vithya Ramraj, born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, broke PT Usha's 42-year-old national record in the women's 400-meter hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games, clocking 54.75s.
- •She secured a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games and had previously equaled Usha's record of 55.42s at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
- •Ramraj's athletic journey began with her mother enrolling her and her twin sister, Nithya, in a sports hostel, providing financial relief and introducing them to competitive athletics.
- •Despite early challenges including illness, surgery, and parental pressure to quit sports, Vithya remained determined, relocating to Chennai to train under coach Nehpal Singh Rathore.
- •Her strategic shift to hurdles under her new coach led to significant success, including a bronze in the individual event and a silver in the mixed relay at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and making history with Nithya as the first twins to represent India at the Asiad.
Key Questions Answered
Vithya Ramraj broke India's longest-standing national athletics record in the women's 400-meter hurdles by clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds.
She broke the 42-year-old national record previously held by PT Usha, which was set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics with a time of 55.42 seconds.
UAE’s Mariam Kareem won the gold medal with a Games Record of 54.31 seconds, while Adelina Zems of Kazakhstan secured the silver with a personal best of 54.58 seconds.
