After matching 39-year-old national record held by the legendary PT Usha in the 400m hurdles at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China in the 400m hurdles heat, Vithya Ramraj with impressive 55.42 seconds, equaling the record set by PT Usha during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and securing her spot in the final.
In the final, she finished third behind Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain and Mo Jiadie of China, with a timing of 55.68 as India come close to 65 medals on the tally.
The 25-year-old secured a third-place finish with a time of 55.68s. Meanwhile, Bahrain's Oluwakemi Mujidat Adekoya set a new games record with 54.45s, and China's Jaidie Mo achieved a season's best of 55.01s, taking gold and silver respectively.
Previously, the Indian athlete matched PT Usha's national record for the 400m hurdle, set in 1984, by clocking a personal best of 55.52s. This outstanding performance led her to top her heat and earn a spot in the final on Monday.
Additionally, Ramraj was a member of the Indian team, alongside Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, Rajesh Ramesh, and Subha Venkatesan. This team initially won bronze in the mixed team 4x400m relay. However, following Sri Lanka's disqualification due to a lane infringement, their medal was upgraded to silver on Monday.
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