Who is Vithya Ramraj? She is the 28-year-old 400m hurdler from Coimbatore who broke PT Usha’s 42-year-old national record at the Asian Games 2026. Vithya Ramraj ran 54.75 seconds in Nagoya to win bronze, and at the same Games she won women’s 4x400m relay gold and mixed 4x400m relay silver.
Yet she grew up as a truck driver’s daughter, and her twin sister once paid for her training. This page therefore tells her whole story so far: her medals, her personal bests, her 2026 season race by race, and her life away from the track.
Vithya Ramraj at a glance
- Born: 20 September 1998, Coimbatore
- Age: 28
- State: Tamil Nadu
- Events: 400m hurdles, 400m and the 4x400m relays
- Personal bests: 400m hurdles 54.75 (national record), 400m 51.96
- Asian Games 2026: gold in the women’s 4x400m relay, silver in the mixed 4x400m relay, bronze in the 400m hurdles
- Job: Indian Railways
- Off the track: trains in Chennai under coach Nehpal Singh Rathore; her twin sister Nithya is a 100m hurdler
Jump to: Who is she Hurdles record Relay medals 2026 season Personal bests Her story Beyond the track
Who is Vithya Ramraj? The short answer
Vithya Ramraj is an Indian 400m hurdler and quarter-miler from Tamil Nadu. She was born in Coimbatore on 20 September 1998, according to World Athletics, and she races the 400m hurdles, the 400m and both 4x400m relays.
She first matched PT Usha’s national record of 55.42 at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, where she also won bronze. Then, three years later in Nagoya, she finally broke it. As a result, World Athletics now lists her with one Asian Games gold, three silvers and two bronzes.
Asian Games 2026: 400m hurdles bronze and a 42-year-old record
The heats took place on Sunday 27 September, and the final followed on Monday 28 September at Nagoya’s Mizuho Park stadium. In the final, Vithya ran 54.75 seconds to win bronze. That cut 0.67 seconds off the 55.42 that Usha set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The UAE’s 18-year-old Mariam Kareem won gold in a Games record of 54.31, while Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems took silver in a personal best of 54.58. Meanwhile, India’s Anu Raghavan also ran a personal best of 55.88 to finish fifth, Outlook reported.
| Place | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mariam Kareem | UAE | 54.31 (Games record) |
| 2 | Adelina Zems | Kazakhstan | 54.58 |
| 3 | Vithya Ramraj | India | 54.75 (national record) |
| 4 | Kong Yingying | China | 55.78 |
| 5 | Anu Raghavan | India | 55.88 |
The bronze was also her second Asian Games medal in a row in the event, after Hangzhou. In addition, Usha herself, now the president of the Indian Olympic Association, was at the Games to see her record fall. Full results from Nagoya are on our Asian Games 2026 hub.
Relay gold and silver: a medal of every colour
Her Games began with the mixed 4x400m relay final on 24 September. India brought Vithya and Vishal T.K. into the team for the final, alongside Manu T.S. and M.R. Poovamma. Then her strong last leg moved India into second, and the team won silver in 3:14.46 behind Bahrain’s Games record of 3:12.87.
Five days later, she anchored the women’s 4x400m relay with Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma and Prachi. On the last lap she passed China and held off Bahrain, so India won gold in 3:29.69. It was India’s first athletics gold of the Games.
| Event | Medal | India’s time | Nearest rival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed 4x400m (24 Sep) | Silver | 3:14.46 | Bahrain, gold, 3:12.87 (Games record) |
| Women’s 4x400m (29 Sep) | Gold | 3:29.69 | Bahrain, silver, 3:30.21 |
Vithya Ramraj’s 2026 season, race by race
Her year started over the flat 400m in March. After that, she doubled up at the Federation Cup in May, won the national hurdles title in June and ran a 400m best of 51.96 in August. Finally, she peaked for Nagoya in September.
| When | Meet | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 March | Indian Open 400m, Trivandrum | 400m | 53.31, won |
| 4 April | Indian Athletics Series-1, Bengaluru | 400m hurdles | 57.10, won |
| 12 April | Indian Athletics Series-4, Ranchi | 400m hurdles | 57.02, won |
| 23 May | Federation Cup, Ranchi | 400m | 52.22, gold, a personal best then |
| 25 May | Federation Cup, Ranchi | 400m hurdles | 56.61, gold |
| June | Inter-State Championships heats, Bhubaneswar | 400m hurdles | 56.61, fastest qualifier |
| June | Inter-State Championships final, Bhubaneswar | 400m hurdles | 56.07, national title |
| 22 August | World Athletics Continental Tour Silver, Bhubaneswar | 400m | 51.96, won, personal best |
| 24 September | Asian Games, Nagoya | Mixed 4x400m relay | 3:14.46, silver |
| 28 September | Asian Games final, Nagoya | 400m hurdles | 54.75, national record, bronze |
| 29 September | Asian Games, Nagoya | Women’s 4x400m relay | 3:29.69, gold |
Her Ranchi double was one of the stories of the Federation Cup. However, neither time met the Commonwealth Games standards of 51.36 in the 400m and 54.67 in the 400m hurdles. Every Federation Cup result is on our Federation Cup 2026 page.
Download PDF: Federation Cup 2026 women’s 400m final
Who is Vithya Ramraj at her best? Personal bests
Both of her individual bests came in 2026. The marks below are from her World Athletics profile and our race reports.
| Event | Time | Where | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400m hurdles | 54.75 NR | Asian Games, Mizuho Park, Nagoya | 28 September 2026 |
| 400m | 51.96 | Continental Tour Silver, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar | 22 August 2026 |
| 4x400m relay (team) | 3:27.85 | Asian Games, Hangzhou | 4 October 2023 |
Her 54.75 made her the first Indian woman to run faster than 55.42 in the 400m hurdles. Meanwhile, her 51.96 improved on the 52.22 she ran at the Federation Cup only three months earlier. The latest Indian marks are on our women’s 400m hurdles page.
Who is Vithya Ramraj’s coach? From Coimbatore to Chennai
Vithya grew up in Coimbatore with her twin sister Nithya and an elder sister. Her father, Ramraj, worked as a truck driver, and money was tight, so the twins went to a government-aided school. They began by winning district-level races, and their results later earned them government jobs, DT Next reported.
Later, she moved to Chennai to train under coach Nehpal Singh Rathore outside the national camp. During that time, Nithya used her Income Tax Department salary to help pay for Vithya’s training, until Vithya found a job with Indian Railways.
Her breakthrough came in 2023. She ran 55.43 at the Indian Grand Prix in Chandigarh, just 0.01 outside Usha’s record. Then, at Hangzhou, she equalled the 55.42 in the heats and won bronze in the final. After that, she ran in India’s women’s 4x400m relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and in 2025 she took 400m hurdles bronze in 56.46 at the Asian Championships in Gumi.
Who is Vithya Ramraj beyond the track? Railways, her twin and her father
Off the track, Vithya works for Indian Railways, and she has raced in Railways colours at domestic meets. Her identical twin, Nithya, is a 100m hurdler with a best of 13.04. However, Nithya broke her ankle at a meet in Bhubaneswar in 2025 and missed Nagoya after another injury in training.
The family story also runs through her success. Vithya has said one of her proudest moments was asking her father to stop driving trucks. After Nagoya, her father said the medals were the reward for three years of steady training.
Follow Vithya Ramraj on Athletics India
Her full stats and results are on Vithya Ramraj’s athlete profile. In addition, all women’s hurdles news is in our women’s hurdles section.
Read next
- Vithya Ramraj smashes PT Usha’s 42-year-old record to win Asian Games bronze
- Vithya Ramraj anchors India to women’s 4x400m relay gold in Nagoya
- Two changes, one silver: India’s mixed 4x400m relay
- Vithya Ramraj claims double gold at the Federation Cup 2026
- Vithya Ramraj wins 400m gold in 51.96 in Bhubaneswar
India’s Shravani Sangle continued her impressive run at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships 2026, winning the bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles in Ordos, China with a lifetime best of 58.09s.
The 20-year-old produced an excellent race to finish third, lowering her personal best in the process and adding another medal to India’s growing tally at the continental championships. Competing against a strong field of Asia’s leading U23 hurdlers, Shravani maintained her rhythm throughout the race before finishing strongly to secure a well-deserved place on the podium.
The bronze medal capped a memorable campaign for the young Indian athlete, who had already played a pivotal role in India’s triumph in the Mixed 4x400m Relay earlier in the championships. Running the anchor leg, Shravani delivered a sensational performance, overtaking the Chinese runner in the closing stages to seal the gold medal for India in dramatic fashion.
With her latest success in the individual event, Shravani concludes the championships with an impressive two-medal haul—a gold medal in the Mixed 4x400m Relay and a bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Her lifetime-best performance of 58.09s also highlights the steady progress she has made this season. Producing a personal best in a championship final reflects both her composure under pressure and her continued development as one of India’s promising young quarter-milers and hurdlers.
The Asian U23 Athletics Championships have provided an ideal platform for emerging athletes to showcase their talent, and Shravani made full use of the opportunity with outstanding performances in both relay and individual competition.
Ending the championships with two medals and a new personal best, Shravani Sangle has firmly established herself as one of India’s standout performers in Ordos. Her performances not only contributed significantly to India’s medal tally but also underline her potential as she looks ahead to future senior international competitions.
Vithya Ramraj delivered yet another statement performance at the 65th Interstate Athletics Championships 2026, storming to victory in the women’s 400m hurdles with a superb time of 56.07 seconds. The Tamil Nadu athlete looked in complete control throughout the race, comfortably taking the gold medal while reinforcing her status as one of India’s premier quarter-milers over hurdles.
Kerala’s Anu R produced an equally impressive run to finish second, ensuring a thrilling one-two finish. More importantly, both athletes went well under the Asian Games qualifying standard of 57.21 seconds, securing their qualification with plenty to spare.
For Vithya, the performance continues her consistent run of form on the national circuit. The experienced hurdler has been India’s leading name in the event over the past few seasons and once again showcased her ability to deliver when it matters most.
Anu R’s breakthrough performance is equally significant. Going comfortably below the qualification mark highlights the growing strength of Indian women’s 400m hurdles, with multiple athletes now capable of competing at the continental level.
With both Vithya Ramraj and Anu R booking their places for the Asian Games, India heads into the international season with encouraging depth in one of its strongest track events. Their performances at the Interstate Championships underline the steady rise of the women’s 400m hurdles and provide optimism for the challenges ahead.
A forgotten hurdle. A solo re-run. And ultimately, a missed opportunity.
One of the most unfortunate incidents of the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships unfolded in the women’s 400m hurdles, where 20-year-old Harshitha was left paying the price for an officiating error that has raised serious questions about athlete welfare and competition management.
Harshitha had initially appeared to have done everything right.
Competing in Heat 1 on Friday evening, she clocked 1:01.03, finishing fourth and seemingly earning a place in the final.
But celebrations were short-lived.
Officials later discovered that one hurdle had not been placed in her lane, meaning she had cleared only nine hurdles instead of the mandatory ten. The error rendered the race invalid for her, despite the mistake being entirely beyond her control.
Following the discovery, officials invoked World Athletics Competition Rule (CR) 18.7, which allows the referee to order a re-run or advancement when an athlete has been adversely affected by circumstances during the competition.
As a result, Harshitha was asked to contest the race again.
This time, she had to run alone.
A Race Against the Clock
The solo re-run was scheduled for 9:30 am on Saturday, just hours before the final.
Unlike her competitors, who advanced through the normal heats, Harshitha faced the unusual task of running without anyone alongside her—a significant disadvantage in an event where pacing and competition often influence performance.
To qualify for the final, she needed to clock under 1:02.00.
She stopped the clock at 1:02.54, missing qualification by 0.54 seconds.
Her Inter-State Championships ended there.
“Everyone Is Running Two Races. I Am Running Three.”
Speaking to the media after the re-run, an emotional Harshitha questioned the fairness of the situation.
“Everyone is running two races, while I am running three.”
She also revealed another troubling aspect of the episode.
“The officials said it was my fault too, as I cleared the adjacent lane’s hurdle yesterday.”
The remark has only intensified the debate surrounding the handling of the incident.
Bigger Questions for Indian Athletics
While the decision to order a re-run was in accordance with World Athletics rules, the episode has highlighted the difficult balance between following regulations and ensuring fairness to athletes.
A 400m hurdles race is built around rhythm, stride pattern and race dynamics. Running alone, without direct competition, presents a very different challenge from racing in a full field.
The incident becomes even more significant because the Inter-State Championships are not just a national competition. They also serve as the final domestic qualifying event for selection to the 2026 Asian Games.
For Harshitha, an officiating lapse meant running an additional race and ultimately missing the final.
The regulations may have been followed.
But the larger question remains: Should an athlete bear the consequences of an officiating error at a championship of this importance?
India’s leading 400m hurdler Vithya Ramraj made a strong statement at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2026 by achieving the Asian Games qualification standard during the heats of the women’s 400m hurdles.
The joint national record holder, who shares the national mark with legendary sprinter PT Usha, clocked 56.61s to comfortably secure qualification for the upcoming Asian Games. Her performance was the fastest across both heats, ensuring that she advanced to the final as the top qualifier.
Known for her consistency on the national circuit, Vithya once again demonstrated why she remains India’s leading contender in the event. Running with control and confidence, she produced a performance that not only met the qualification standard but also highlighted her readiness for the championship final.
The qualification adds another important milestone to Vithya’s season as she continues to build momentum ahead of major international competitions. By registering the quickest time of the preliminary rounds, she has positioned herself as the athlete to beat in the final and reinforced her credentials as one of India’s most reliable performers in the 400m hurdles.
Vithya’s success also reflects her ability to consistently deliver on the big stage. Having already established herself as one of the country’s finest quarter-milers over the hurdles, her latest performance further strengthens India’s prospects in the event as preparations continue for the Asian Games.
The Interstate Championships have served as an important platform for athletes chasing qualification standards, and Vithya capitalised on the opportunity with a composed run in the heats. Her ability to secure qualification while conserving enough energy for the final speaks to her experience and race management.
With the Asian Games qualification now secured and the fastest qualifying time to her name, Vithya Ramraj will return to the track for the women’s 400m hurdles final looking to add the national title to an already impressive performance at the championships.
Indian hurdling star and national record holder Jyothi Yarraji marked a sensational return to competition by clinching the women’s 100m hurdles title at the 65th Interstate Athletics Championships 2026, clocking an impressive 12.99 seconds.
The performance carried extra significance as it was Jyothi’s first competition of the season following a lengthy rehabilitation period after suffering an ACL injury — one of the most challenging setbacks an athlete can face. Months of recovery, rehabilitation, and uncertainty culminated in a triumphant comeback on the national stage.
Earlier in the day, Jyothi had already shown signs that she was back to her best by comfortably breaching the Asian Games 2026 qualification standard in the heats. She then raised her level even further in the final, breaking the 13-second barrier and reminding everyone why she remains India’s undisputed hurdle queen.
Her victory was a testament not only to her speed and technique but also to the resilience and determination that carried her through the difficult months away from competition. Returning from an ACL injury is never easy, especially for a sprint hurdler whose event demands explosive power, speed, and precise movement over barriers.
The final saw a strong field of competitors, with Nandhini K finishing second in 13.22 seconds and Pragyan Prasanti taking third place in 13.48 seconds.
Women’s 100m Hurdles Final
🥇 Jyothi Yarraji – 12.99s
🥈 Nandhini K – 13.22s
🥉 Pragyan Prasanti – 13.48s
With the Asian Games qualification mark already secured and a sub-13-second performance in her season opener, Jyothi’s comeback could not have been scripted any better. As the road to the Asian Games gathers pace, India’s hurdle queen has sent a clear message — she is back, stronger than ever.
Indian hurdler Nandhini K joined compatriot Jyothi Yarraji in breaching the Asian Games qualification standard in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, delivering a lifetime-best-equalling performance of 13.24 seconds in Heat 2.
With the Asian Games qualification mark set at 13.34 seconds, Nandhini comfortably punched her ticket to Nagoya, capping off a memorable day for Indian women’s hurdling.
Earlier in the day, Asian champion Jyothi Yarraji had clocked 13.14 seconds in Heat 1 to achieve the qualification standard in her first race back from injury. Nadhini’s performance ensured that both heats of the women’s 100m hurdles produced Asian Games qualifiers, underlining the growing depth in the event in India.
For Nandhini, the result was particularly significant as she matched the personal best of 13.24 seconds that she had set earlier in her career. Producing a performance of that quality at one of the most important domestic competitions of the season demonstrates both consistency and readiness as the race towards the 2026 Asian Games gathers momentum.
The women’s 100m hurdles has emerged as one of India’s strongest sprint events in recent years, led by Yarraji’s continental success and national record performances. Nandhini’s qualification now adds another serious contender to India’s ranks, giving the country multiple athletes capable of competing at the highest level in Asia.
The timing of the performance is also crucial. The National Inter-State Championships serve as the final domestic qualification opportunity for athletes targeting major international championships, including the Asian Games.
