A national record, three medals and a proud homecoming for Coimbatore’s Vithya Ramraj

Vithya Ramraj with her three Asian Games medals during her homecoming at Meenakshipuram in Coimbatore on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

A 42-year-old national record, three Asian Games medals and a return to her native village marked a memorable week for 28-year-old athlete Vithya Ramraj of Meenakshipuram in Coimbatore.

On September 28, Vithya won bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds to become the first Indian woman to breach the 55-second barrier and better P.T. Usha’s 55.42-second national record set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She also won gold in the women’s 4x400m relay and silver in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Games.

Vithya had equalled Usha’s mark in 2023, but could not better it then. “I was sad in 2023 that I could not break the record. Now, I am happy that I have done it,” she said.