Vithya Ramraj won three medals at the Asian Games 2026, including relay gold, while breaking PT Usha’s 42-year-old 400m hurdles national record.
Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj completed a memorable Asian Games 2026 campaign by winning three medals, including gold in the women’s 4×400-metre relay and bronze in the 400-metre hurdles.
Her performances in Aichi-Nagoya also included a new national record, establishing her as one of India’s standout athletes at the Games.
Vithya Anchors India to Relay Gold
Vithya delivered a determined final leg as India won the women’s 4×400-metre relay in 3 minutes, 29.69 seconds.
The Indian quartet of Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi and Vithya finished ahead of Bahrain, which clocked 3:30.21. China secured the bronze medal in 3:31.02.
Kiran handed over the baton in third position before Poovamma moved India into the lead. Prachi maintained the advantage, allowing Vithya to hold off a strong challenge from Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser during the final lap.
The victory delivered India’s first athletics gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games.
PT Usha’s 42-Year Record Broken
A day before the relay victory, Vithya won bronze in the women’s 400-metre hurdles with a personal-best time of 54.75 seconds.
The performance broke the 55.42-second Indian record set by PT Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Vithya had equalled Usha’s mark at the 2023 Asian Games but became the outright national record holder in Nagoya.
She is also the first Indian woman to complete the 400-metre hurdles in under 55 seconds.
Mariam Kareem of the UAE won the event in a Games-record time of 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems claimed silver in 54.58 seconds.
Three Medals for Vithya Ramraj
Vithya’s first medal in Nagoya came in the mixed 4×400-metre relay, where India secured silver. She later added the hurdles bronze and women’s relay gold to complete a three-medal campaign.
She has now won women’s 400-metre hurdles medals at two consecutive Asian Games, having also taken bronze at Hangzhou 2023.
Her combination of relay success and an individual national record made her one of the most successful members of India’s athletics contingent, which finished the Games with 24 medals.
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