3 min readSep 28, 2026 06:03 PM IST
Former India athlete and current Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha lauded Hurdler Vithya Ramraj for breaking her 42-year-old Asian Games record on Monday. Vithya clocked 54.75s in the final of women’s 400m hurdles to win India bronze, breaking Usha’s 55.42s record.
“Congratulations Vithya!! Records are meant to be broken & there is no greater reward for an athlete than to see the next generation go beyond the boundaries we once set. Vithya Ramraj breaking my 43-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles is an incredibly special moment,” Usha posted on X.
“As athletes, we compete to challenge ourselves, to push limits & ultimately, to leave the sport better than we found it. When a young athlete comes along & surpasses a milestone that has stood for decades, it is a moment of pride not just for the athlete, but for the sport too,” she added.
As athletes, we compete to challenge ourselves, to push limits & ultimately, to leave the sport better than we found it. When a young athlete comes along & surpasses a milestone that has stood for decades, it is a moment of pride not just for the athlete, but for the sport too
— P.T. USHA (@PTUshaOfficial) September 28, 2026
Vithya had come very close to the record in the last edition of the Asian Games when she had clocked 55.42s in the heats and missed the record by 0.01s. This is second consecutive bronze medal for Vithya in the event at the Asian Games as she had finished third in the last edition also.
This is also India’s third consecutive medal in the event at the Asian Games after Anu Raghavan had won the bronze in 2018 Jakarta edition.
“Medal is in our hands, but time is not. This race will not come tomorrow or yesterday. Today is our day, so I was going for the timing, not the medal. My coach said we would go 54 seconds. I did it, and I am so happy. The timing was so good, so I am very happy,” she said after the race as per PTI.
“Everyone has been asking me because I had not gone under 55 seconds for three years. My coach Nehpal Singh Rathore told me to go fast, then maintain it through the sixth hurdle. From the sixth hurdle to the finish line, it was all out,” she added.
