Vithya Ramraj Breaks National Record to Win Asian Games 400m Hurdles Bronze

Vithya Ramraj delivered one of the defining performances of India's athletics campaign at the 2026 Asian Games, breaking the national record in the women's 400m hurdles while securing a second consecutive Asian Games bronze medal.

Ramraj clocked 54.75 seconds in the final in Aichi-Nagoya, improving the national record by 0.67 seconds from the previous 55.42 mark that she had jointly held with Indian athletics legend PT Usha. The bronze was Ramraj's second consecutive Asian Games medal in the event after she also finished third at the 2023 Asian Games. But this time, the medal came with a significant addition to her record book: she now holds the national record outright.

The final was won by the United Arab Emirates' Mariam Kareem, who produced a Games Record of 54.31s, while Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems took silver in a personal best of 54.58s.

India's other finalist, Anu Raghavan, also produced an impressive performance, clocking a personal best of 55.88s to finish fifth. Ramraj entered the final with a personal best and national record of 55.42s, while her season's best stood at 56.07s. She was drawn in Lane 5, with Raghavan in Lane 8. Both Indians arrived with previous Asian Games bronze medals in the event — Raghavan from 2018 and Ramraj from 2023.

The race immediately developed into a closely contested affair. Ramraj remained firmly in contention through the early stages, refusing to allow the leaders to establish a decisive gap. Raghavan also made progress from the outside lane, while Kareem began to demonstrate why she had entered the final among the leading contenders.

As the race entered its decisive stages, Kareem produced the strongest finish. The UAE hurdler pulled clear down the home straight and stopped the clock at 54.31s, setting a new Games Record. Behind her, the battle for the remaining podium positions went down to the final metres.

Ramraj held her form under pressure and crossed the line in 54.75s, securing bronze while simultaneously rewriting the Indian record.

The historical significance of Ramraj's performance makes the bronze particularly noteworthy. Before the race, the Indian national record stood at 55.42s, a mark jointly held by Ramraj and PT Usha. Usha's place in Indian athletics history needs little introduction. Her performances in the 400m hurdles established her as one of the country's most celebrated track athletes, and the longevity of her national records has been a defining feature of her legacy.

Ramraj had equalled that benchmark, but in Nagoya she finally moved beyond it. Her 54.75s represents an improvement of 0.67 seconds — a substantial margin in an event where hundredths of a second can decide medals. It also means Ramraj has now established a new national benchmark for Indian women's 400m hurdles.

The timing makes the achievement even more significant. She did not merely win another Asian Games medal; she produced the fastest 400m hurdles performance by an Indian woman in history on the biggest stage of the continental calendar.

Anu Raghavan produces another personal best

Ramraj was not the only Indian to leave the final with a significant performance. Anu Raghavan clocked 55.88s, lowering her personal best and finishing fifth. Raghavan had entered the final with a PB and SB of 56.54s, meaning she improved her best by more than half a second. Her fifth-place finish came in a final where the standard was exceptionally high. China's Kong Yingying finished fourth in 55.78s, only 0.10 seconds ahead of Raghavan.

The narrow margins underline the quality of the race. For India, having two athletes under 56 seconds in the same Asian Games final represents a strong showing in an event that has historically been associated with some of the country's greatest athletes.

At the front, Kareem delivered the performance of the evening. Her 54.31s not only secured gold but also established a new Asian Games record. Kazakhstan's Zems followed in 54.58s, also setting a personal best.

The final standings were:

1. Mariam Kareem (UAE) — 54.31s, Games Record

2. Adelina Zems (Kazakhstan) — 54.58s, PB

3. Vithya Ramraj (India) — 54.75s, National Record, PB

4. Kong Yingying (China) — 55.78s

5. Anu Raghavan (India) — 55.88s, PB

6. Honoka Aoki (Japan) — 56.24s

7. Chung Hsin-ju (Chinese Taipei) — 56.65s

8. Satsuki Umehara (Japan) — 57.90s

The result produced three of the most important numbers of the final: a Games Record for Kareem, a personal best for Zems and a new national record for Ramraj.

For Ramraj, however, the significance goes beyond the bronze medal. She has now won the same medal at two successive Asian Games and, in the process, moved her national record beyond a mark associated with one of India's greatest track athletes. The 54.75s also represents a substantial improvement over her season's best of 56.07s entering the competition.

That progression under pressure is perhaps the most striking aspect of the performance. When the Asian Games final demanded her fastest race of the season, Ramraj delivered exactly that and by a considerable margin. The result leaves India with another athletics medal and Ramraj with a new place in the national record books.

At the end of the 400m hurdles final, the bronze medal was already secured. The bigger achievement was written into the clock: 54.75 seconds, a new Indian record.