Vithya Ramraj Breaks PT Usha's 42-Year 400m Hurdles National Record
Indian hurdler Vithya Ramraj broke P.T. Usha's 42-year-old national record in the women's 400m hurdles by clocking 54.75 seconds at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Her performance earned her a bronze medal and made her the first Indian woman to run under 55 seconds in the event.
What happened
At the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj registered a personal best timing of 54.75 seconds in the women's 400m hurdles final to secure the bronze medal. With this performance, she officially eclipsed the 42-year-old national record of 55.42 seconds set by P.T. Usha at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Ramraj improved upon the previous national mark by a margin of 0.67 seconds, becoming the first Indian woman in athletics history to record a sub-55-second finish in the 400m hurdles. In the final race, Mariam Kareem clinched the gold medal with a Games-record timing of 54.31 seconds, while Adelina Zems of Kazakhstan took silver with 54.58 seconds.
Beyond her individual bronze, Vithya Ramraj added to her medal collection at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by winning a gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay and a silver medal in the 4x400m mixed relay. Her historic achievement in the hurdles was officially acknowledged and celebrated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Important dates
| P.T. Usha's Record Set at Los Angeles Olympics | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Vithya Ramraj Equalled P.T. Usha's Record | 2023 |
| Vithya Ramraj Sets New National Record (54.75s) | 7 October 2026 |
📌 Static GK links
- P.T. Usha's long-standing national record of 55.42 seconds in the 400m hurdles was set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
- The 2026 Asian Games were hosted by the co-host cities Aichi and Nagoya in Japan.
- The 2022 edition of the Asian Games was held in Hangzhou, China, where Vithya Ramraj also won three medals (one bronze and two silvers).
- Vithya Ramraj represents the state of Tamil Nadu in national competitions.
What candidates should do
- Memorize the exact timing of the new national record (54.75 seconds) and the previous record (55.42 seconds) for objective sports questions.
- Note the host venue for the 2026 Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya, Japan) as international tournament venues are frequently tested.
- Revise the list of long-standing national athletics records and milestones achieved by Indian athletes in multi-sport international events.
PrepZen analysis
P.T. Usha's 1984 mark of 55.42 seconds stood as one of the most enduring benchmarks in Indian track and field history. Having equalled the record in 2023, Vithya Ramraj's performance of 54.75 seconds in Aichi-Nagoya finally lowered the mark after 42 years.
For competitive examination aspirants, questions from this topic are expected under sports records, personality-based queries, and international event summaries. Examiners often target exact numbers, historical benchmarks, the margin of improvement, and the host country of the event.
Practice questions
Q1. What is the new national record set by Vithya Ramraj in the women's 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games?
Q2. At which Olympic Games did P.T. Usha set the earlier national record of 55.42 seconds in the 400m hurdles?
Q3. Which city/region hosted the 2026 Asian Games where Vithya Ramraj broke the national record?
Performance clinched bronze at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
PT Usha held the earlier mark of 55.42 seconds since 1984.
🎯 Key Point: Vithya Ramraj broke PT Usha's 42-year-old 400m hurdles national record.
FAQs
Whose national record did Vithya Ramraj break?
Vithya Ramraj broke the national record held by legendary Indian athlete P.T. Usha, which stood at 55.42 seconds since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
What was the margin by which Vithya Ramraj broke the 400m hurdles national record?
She broke the previous record by 0.67 seconds, bringing the time down from 55.42 seconds to 54.75 seconds.
Which state does Vithya Ramraj belong to?
Vithya Ramraj hails from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
What other medals did Vithya Ramraj win at the 2026 Asian Games?
In addition to her bronze medal in the 400m hurdles, she won a gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay and a silver medal in the 4x400m mixed relay.
Sources
- wikipedia.org (en.wikipedia.org)
- thehindu.com (www.thehindu.com)
- indiatimes.com (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
- rediff.com (m.rediff.com)
Prepared by the PrepZen Editorial Team from official releases and verified reports, for exam preparation. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.
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