Vithya Ramraj rewrote India's athletics record books on Monday, claiming bronze in the women's 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya with a personal best of 54.75 seconds.
The Indian hurdler's podium finish came alongside a historic milestone as she erased the 55.42-second national record set by PT Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Usha's mark had remained unbeaten for 42 years.
Vithya had previously matched the legendary athlete's timing in 2023. However, her latest performance took her past the long-standing benchmark, making her the new national record holder in the event.
According to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), Vithya cleared all 10 hurdles during the final to secure third place and add another medal to India's athletics campaign.
The gold medal went to UAE's Mariam Kareem, who clocked 54.31 seconds to establish a new Games record. Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems finished second in 54.58 seconds to take silver.
Vithya's record-breaking run also saw her improve on her previous personal best, completing a significant breakthrough in her international career.
India's other finalist, Anu Raghavan, recorded a personal best of 55.88 seconds to finish fifth in the women's 400m hurdles.
Following the event, India's overall medal count reached 40, including four gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals. The country was placed 12th in the Asian Games 2026 medal standings.