Vithya Ramraj wins three medals and breaks national record at Asian Games

Indian athlete Vithya Ramraj has secured three medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Her achievements include a gold medal in the women’s 4x400m relay, where she anchored the team alongside Kiran Pahal, M R Poovamma, and Prachi Chaudhary. The team finished with a time of 3:29.69, marking India’s first athletics gold of the Games.

In addition to the relay gold, Ramraj won a silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay and a bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles. Her performance in the hurdles was particularly notable as she clocked 54.75 seconds, breaking the 42-year-old national record of 55.42 seconds previously held by PT Usha.

Ramraj’s success follows a journey of significant financial hardship. Raised in Coimbatore, she and her twin sister, Nithya, attended government-aided schools and trained at a Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu hostel after being identified by a physical education teacher. Vithya currently holds a position with the Indian Railways.