Vithya Ramraj Sets New Asian Games 400m Hurdles Record, Wins Bronze

Vithya Ramraj set a new Asian Games record of 54.75 seconds in the women's 400m hurdles final on Monday, earning a bronze medal for India. The time surpassed the previous mark of 55.42 seconds set by former Olympian PT Usha 42 years ago. Ramraj had narrowly missed the old record at the 2022 Asian Games, running 55.42 seconds in the heats, just 0.01 seconds slower. This medal is her second straight bronze in the event, mirroring her third‑place finish at the last Games. It also continues India's streak of three consecutive bronzes in the women's 400m hurdles, following Anu Raghavan's podium finish in Jakarta 2018. After the race, Ramraj said she focused on the timing rather than the medal, noting her coach Nehpal Singh Rathore had urged her to push hard through the sixth hurdle and maintain speed to the finish. PT Usha praised the achievement on X, calling record‑breaking a sign of progress and expressing pride in the next generation. She highlighted that breaking a decades‑old national record was an "incredibly special moment."

Context

The Asian Games record had stood since the early 1980s, a period when Indian women’s hurdling had few international podium finishes. Breaking such a long‑standing mark signals growing depth in India's sprint‑hurdle talent pool.