Story perspectives

Vithya Ramraj Breaks PT Usha 42-Year 400m Record

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 4:08 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Vithya Ramraj broke PT Usha’s 42-year 400 m hurdles record with a 54.75-second run.
She won bronze at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Sept 28, 2026.
The 54.75 s time lowered India’s national record by 0.67 s and was her personal best.
Tamil Nadu chief minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a INR30 lakh reward for her achievement.
She anchored India’s mixed 4×400 m relay to a silver medal with a 3:14.46 finish.

History

Historical Context

Women's 400 m hurdles debuted at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, where Morocco’s Nawal El Moutawakel won gold. The event first appeared at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki and continued at the 1986 Stuttgart European Championships and 1987 Rome World Championships, establishing a lasting global presence across continents for female hurdlers.

1 of 2

Story summary

Vithya Ramraj broke PT Usha’s 42-year 400 m hurdles record with a 54.75-second run.
She won bronze at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Sept 28, 2026.
The 54.75 s time lowered India’s national record by 0.67 s and was her personal best.
Tamil Nadu chief minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a INR30 lakh reward for her achievement.
She anchored India’s mixed 4×400 m relay to a silver medal with a 3:14.46 finish.

1 / 2