NDTV Exclusive: "I Never Go For Medals" - Vithya Ramraj Reveals Secret To Success After Breaking PT Usha's Record At Asiad

Vithya Ramraj celebrates after winning 400m hurdles bronze at Asian Games 2026© Getty

Vithya Ramraj made history at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday as she shattered PT Usha's national record and clinched bronze in the women's 400m hurdles final. Vithya previously jointly held the national record with Usha, with a time of 55.42 seconds. On Monday, however, she blitzed the race in just 54.75 seconds, and finished only narrowly behind gold medalist Mariam Kareem. Vithya reflected on her incredible achievement in a candid chat with NDTV, and also sent a message to the future generation.

"I'm so happy, because it's been 42 years (that the record stood). After 2023, when I equalled it, everyone asked me, 'When are you going to break it? When will you run it in 55s?' That hurt me more. Today I did 54, I'm so happy" she said.

"I'm 28 years old now, and I'm talking to the next generation. Don't look at the age. 54 now, you can do it in 53 also," she added.

"I never go for the medals. I go for the timings, and got the medal," she further said.

Ramraj had previously equalled Usha's mark at the 2023 Asian Games, where she also won bronze. Three years later, she finally moved beyond the mark that had stood as one of the longest-standing records in Indian athletics.

The Indian was firmly in medal contention through the race and held her position in the closing stages, but could not match the late surge of Mariam Kareem of the United Arab Emirates. Kareem stormed to gold in a Games-record 54.31s, while Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems secured silver with a personal best of 54.58s.

Ramraj's 54.75s not only earned her a second successive Asian Games bronze but also represented a significant improvement on her previous personal best of 55.42s.

The Indian's compatriot Anu Raghavan also produced a strong performance in the final. Running in lane eight, Raghavan lowered her personal best to 55.88s to finish fifth. Her previous best entering the final was 56.54s.

For Ramraj, the bronze continues a notable Asian Games run. She had stood on the podium in the same event at Hangzhou in 2023 and returned to the final in Aichi-Nagoya with another medal-winning performance.

Usha's 55.42s record had survived since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when she narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth. Ramraj, who had shared that mark since 2023, has now rewritten the national record books outright.

With IANS inputs

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