Vithya Ramraj dominated the women’s 400m hurdles at the Federation Cup in Kochi on Wednesday, winning gold and breaking the meet record. The race included a large number of participants, but Vithya knew she was ahead the moment she passed the first hurdle. From that point forward, it was a solo challenge.
Running without actual competition might make pushing boundaries difficult. Vithya accepted this, stating that she had no one to chase and needed to find inspiration within herself. Her technique was simple: smash every hurdle with force and retain the word “speed” in her head throughout the run.
She ran 56.04 seconds, about three seconds ahead of the next competitor. While this timing earned her a spot at the upcoming Asian Championships, it fell short of her personal best of 55.42.
Her personal best also happens to be India’s national record, which she shares with famous athlete PT Usha. Both clocked the same time: Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and Vithya during the Asian Games heats in Hangzhou. It’s been 41 years since the record was established, making it the longest-standing national record in Indian women’s sports.
