Indian hurdler Vithya Ramraj broke P. T. Usha’s long-standing national record in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, clocking 54.75 seconds to win the bronze medal. India Today
Ramraj improved Usha’s 55.42-second national record by 0.67 seconds. Usha had established the mark at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she finished fourth in the 400m hurdles final. India Tribune - Chicago -
A record she had already equalled
Ramraj had come remarkably close to breaking the record before.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, she clocked 55.42 seconds, equalling Usha’s national mark. Three years later, she finally went beyond it in Nagoya. The Indian Express
Her 54.75-second run was also a personal best and made her the first Indian woman to go below 55 seconds in the event, according to reports. India Today
A fast Asian Games final
The Nagoya final produced a particularly fast race.
UAE’s Mariam Kareem won gold in a Games-record 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems took silver in 54.58 seconds.
India’s Anu Raghavan finished fifth with a personal best of 55.88 seconds. India Today
Usha congratulates Ramraj
P. T. Usha congratulated Ramraj after the record-breaking performance. Usha described the achievement as a proud moment and said records are meant to be broken, celebrating the next generation of Indian athletics. The Indian Express
Ramraj also celebrated her performance with a spontaneous dance after realising that she had broken the national record. The Indian Express
The bronze was Ramraj’s second medal at the 2026 Asian Games. She had earlier won silver as part of India’s mixed 4x400m relay team. India Today
From 55.42 seconds in 1984 to 54.75 seconds in 2026, the improvement is just 0.67 seconds.
But the significance stretches across more than four decades of Indian athletics — from the record set by P. T. Usha in Los Angeles to the new national benchmark created by Vithya Ramraj in Nagoya.