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Legendary Indian athlete PT Usha congratulated Vithya Ramraj after the latter broke her long-standing national record in the women's 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
Vithya Ramraj clinched the bronze medal in the womens 400m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday, clocking a personal best of 54.75 seconds and breaking a national record that had stood since 1984. Vithya cleared all 10 hurdles to finish third in the final, producing a record-breaking performance in Aichi-Nagoya. She broke the previous national record of 55.42 seconds, set by legendary Indian athlete PT Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Vithya had earlier equalled the mark in 2023 before surpassing it at the Asian Games. PT Usha, the current Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President, congratulated Vithya Ramraj on breaking her long-standing national record, saying it was a special moment of pride and that the true legacy of a record lies in inspiring the next generation to go beyond it. Congratulations Vithya!! Records are meant to be broken, and there is no greater reward for an athlete than to see the next generation go beyond the boundaries we once set. Vithya Ramraj breaking my 43-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles is an incredibly special moment for me. As athletes, we compete to challenge ourselves, to push limits and, ultimately, to leave the sport better than we found it. When a young athlete comes along and surpasses a milestone that has stood for decades, it is a moment of pridenot just for the athlete, but for the sport itself. The greatest legacy of a record is not how long it stands, but how it inspires the next athlete to dream of going beyond it, she said. While Vithya Ramraj clinched the bronze medal in the womens 400m hurdles event, Mariam Kareem of the UAE won the gold medal with a Games record time of 54.31 seconds, while Kazakhstans Adelina Zems took silver after clocking 54.58 seconds. (ANI)
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