Vithya Ramraj became an Indian athletics great at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya and broke PT Usha’s national record in the women’s 400m hurdles. Ramraj set a personal record of 54.75 seconds to win the bronze medal which was better than Usha’s 55.42-second record which had been in place since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The accomplishment came after more than four decades of waiting for a new Indian record in the event. Usha had already set the 55.42-second mark at the 1984 Olympics where she achieved the historic fourth place in the 400m hurdles. Ramraj had equalled that record at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou when she also took 55.42 seconds. Three years later she did.
Ramraj was impressive in Nagoya and beat the previous national record. Her 54.75-second run was 0.67 seconds faster than the 55.42-second mark. The Indian hurdler was third in the final in the Asian Games behind UAE's Mariam Kareem who won gold in 54.31 seconds, and Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems, who won silver in 54.58 seconds.
The record-breaking performance was also emotional as Usha herself is now the president of the Indian Olympic Association. Usha also congratulated Ramraj after the race and described the breaking of her long-standing record as a special moment.
Usha said that records are ultimately to be surpassed and said that to see the next generation move beyond an earlier benchmark is a point of pride as an athlete as well as a sportsperson. She also stressed that records should motivate younger athletes to set new goals instead of just a record of statistics.
Ramraj’s journey to the record has already had some key moments. At the 2023 Asian Games she equalled Usha’s national record in 400m hurdles. In Nagoya she finally achieved the record and became India's new record holder.
The bronze was also Ramraj's second medal at the 2026 Asian Games. She had been part of India's silver medal winning mixed 4x400m relay team in the competition earlier in the competition. Her participation in the relay also helped India win another medal in athletics at the Games.
Her achievement is yet another chapter in Indian women’s athletics history. Usha’s 55.42-second mark had been one of the country’s longest-standing national records and had survived generations of athletes, until Ramraj reached it. Ramraj had already equalled the mark, which was a great achievement.
The 400m hurdles final also featured another Indian athlete Anu Raghavan who got fifth place with a time of 55.88 seconds. With her performance two Indian athletes did achieve great times in the final with Ramraj being the most famous with her record-breaking time.
Ramraj's record comes at the height of Indian athletics when the performances of athletes who have become world-class continue to be the same. Neeraj Chopra's Olympic gold medal in men's javelin is one of the great achievements in Indian track and field and the performance of Ramraj highlights women's athletics continue to develop.
In Ramraj’s case, the attention was on the 400m hurdles and the chance to get closer to a record she’d spent years chasing. After Usha’s performance in Hangzhou, she returned to the Asian Games with the chance to go faster. She achieved that goal in Nagoya with a 54.75-second run.
PT Usha’s 42-year-old national record is now part of Indian athletics history and Vithya Ramraj is the new record holder. Her bronze medal and record-breaking performance also represent another big moment for India at the 2026 Asian Games.
Ramraj’s achievement shows how national records will become a milestone to be passed from one generation to the next. Usha’s mark remained for decades, was finally matched by Ramraj and now she’s surpassed it. Ramraj will build on her new national record and will continue to grow in international athletics.
