Vithya Ramaraj turns on the afterburners; India storm to 4x400m silver at Asian Games
Manu kept India in the race before handing over to Vithya Ramaraj for the final leg. Vithya, known for her strong anchor legs, made up ground on the final lap and pulled India into second place to seal the silver.
At the Asian Games on Thursday, the mixed 4x400m relay final saw India secure a silver medal position. The final leg runner, Vithya Ramaraj, had 400 meters to cover to protect India's silver medal. Her three teammates - Manu TS, Poovamma MR, and Vishal Thennarasu - had already contributed to the race. Vithya, watching from the sidelines, prepared herself mentally, noting that her heart would beat fast upon the gun's firing.
However, the confidence of her teammates provided reassurance. Poovamma, the veteran member, appeared to lose ground early, but Vithya was confident in her strong finish. Vishal, a tall runner, closed the gap and handed the baton to Vithya in third place. The nerves were real, but Vithya reminded herself to be strong at the finish.
Her coach encouraged her with instructions during the race. The leaders, UAE, dropped the baton, and Bahrain opened a gap, but Vietnam remained in front. Vithya focused on giving one final push, crossing the finish line in 3:14.46, just 0.08 seconds ahead of Bahrain. This victory meant India earned a silver medal, with Vithya stating, "I didn't want India to lose the medal because of me."
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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