From a Truck Driver’s Home to a 42-Year-Old Record: Vithya Ramraj Runs Into History

Some records feel untouchable, until someone like Vithya Ramraj comes along. At the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, the hurdler from Coimbatore clocked 54.75 seconds in the women’s 400m hurdles. That earned her bronze and, more importantly, a new national record.

Vithya Ramraj: The Record That Stood for 42 Years

PT Usha set the previous mark of 55.42 seconds at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Vithya equalled it at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, then finally went past it, shaving 0.67 seconds off. You can read about the legend whose record she broke on Wikipedia. The run was also a personal best, and it was her second medal at these Games.

A Reward Worthy of the Moment

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a ₹30 lakh cash award on behalf of the state government. He congratulated her for making Tamil Nadu and India proud and said her win would give young people, especially women, a boost of confidence. He also pointed out that Usha’s record had finally fallen after 42 years.

Vithya’s Numbers

The Story Behind the Speed

Her journey began in a modest home. Her father drives a truck, and her mother enrolled Vithya and her twin sister Nithya, a 110m hurdler, at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu hostel in Erode because the family couldn’t afford the costs. The sisters later became the first twins to represent India at the Asian Games.

This isn’t her first podium either. At Hangzhou she won three medals: bronze in the 400m hurdles and silver in both the women’s and mixed 4x400m relays. She also ran the relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics and took hurdles bronze at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.

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