Vithya Ramraj shatters P.T. Usha's 42-year-old national record in 400m hurdles

Vithya Ramraj has rewritten Indian athletics history by breaking P.T. Usha's 42-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles, a barrier that had stood since the early 1980s and long seemed untouchable. Her record-breaking run earned her a bronze medal, drawing comparisons with one of the country's most celebrated track legends.

The achievement carried added significance given that Vithya had equalled Usha's mark three years earlier, making the eventual improvement a long-awaited breakthrough for Indian women's hurdling. Her coach, Nehpal Singh Rathore, has credited her dual training programme across both the 400m hurdles and the flat 400m as central to the development that finally unlocked the record.

Vithya's performance did not end with the hurdles. She also anchored the Indian team to gold in the women's 4×400m relay and contributed to a silver medal in the mixed 4×400m relay, capping an exceptional multi-event championship that underlined how far India has travelled in the discipline.