From a Truck Driver’s Home to the Record Books: Vithya Ramraj’s ₹30 Lakh Bronze

Some records last a season. This one lasted 42 years. Coimbatore’s Vithya Ramraj has finally rewritten a mark that stood since 1984, and Tamil Nadu is celebrating in style.

The Race That Changed the Record Books

In the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Vithya clocked 54.75 seconds to win bronze. That’s a new national record and a personal best.

She beat the old mark of 55.42 seconds, set by PT Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, by 0.67 seconds. Vithya had equalled that time at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, so this one was a long time coming. India’s Anu Raghavan also ran a personal best of 55.88 seconds to finish fifth.

The Reward and the Message

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a ₹30 lakh cash award on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government. He congratulated her for making the state and the country proud. He also said her success would inspire and build confidence among the state’s youth and women.

Vithya Ramraj : Overview

A Journey Built on Sacrifice

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

Vithya was already a proven medallist. She won three medals at Hangzhou: bronze in the 400m hurdles and silver in both the women’s and mixed 4x400m relays. She also ran the relay at Paris 2024 and took bronze at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships.

Catch more inspiring stories in our latest sports news and explore our Asian Games coverage.

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