Athlete Vithya Ramaraj of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, has created history at the 2026 Asian Games. Vithya won the bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles with a time of 54.75 seconds. With this impressive performance, she also broke legendary athlete PT Usha’s 42-year-old national record.

Asian Games 2026: Truck driver’s daughter Vithya Ramaraj breaks PT Usha’s 42-year-old national record

42-year-old record broken, tricolor hoisted in Nagoya

28-year-old Vithya Ramaraj won the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the Asian Games in Nagoya, finishing third. The gold medal went to Mariam Karim of the UAE in 54.31 seconds (a Games record), and the silver went to Adelina James of Kazakhstan in 54.58 seconds.

Vithya’s time of 54.75 seconds is a new national record. Previously, this record was held by PT Usha, who clocked 55.42 seconds at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. By breaking this record after 42 years, Vithya has written a new chapter in Indian athletics. Significantly, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha herself was present at the stadium to witness this historic moment.

From struggle to success: Truck driver father and railway job

From the streets and local grounds of Coimbatore to bringing glory to the country at the international level, Vithya’s journey wasn’t easy. Her father is a truck driver and her mother is a homemaker. Despite their family’s limited resources, Vithya and her twin sister, Nithya Ramaraj, both chose athletics as their career path.

Vithya currently works for the Indian Railways. Until 2017, she primarily competed in the 100m and 200m sprint events, but later focused on the 400m hurdles, along with technical coaching. This change changed the course of her athletic career.

Official statements and achievements

“It was my life’s biggest dream to break P.T. Usha Ma’am’s record and win a medal for the country. This medal is the result of my family’s struggles and my coach’s hard work.”
— Vithya Ramaraj, Indian athlete and bronze medalist

Vithya’s track record at the Asian Games

This is Vithya’s second medal at this Asian Games. Previously, she was part of India’s 4x400m mixed relay team, which won a silver medal. This is her fifth medal in Asian Games history. Previously, at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, she won a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles and silver medals in the 4x400m women’s and mixed relay. In the same race, India’s Anu Raghavan clocked a personal best of 55.88 seconds to finish fifth.