Records are meant to be broken: PT Usha lauds Vithya after Asian Games bronze

Former India athlete and current Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha praised hurdler Vithya Ramraj for breaking her 42-year-old Asian Games record on Monday. Vithya secured India a bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles by clocking 54.75 seconds, surpassing Usha's previous record of 55.42 seconds. Usha expressed her joy on X, stating that records are meant to be broken and that it is a significant moment when a young athlete surpasses a milestone that has remained unchanged for decades.

Vithya had come close to the record in the previous Asian Games, finishing third with a time of 55.42 seconds in the heats. This is Vithya's second consecutive bronze medal in the event, as she also finished third in the 2018 edition held in Jakarta. India's athletes have now won three consecutive medals in the event at the Asian Games, following Anu Raghavan's bronze victory in 2018.

Vithya acknowledged her coach Nehpal Singh Rathore for encouraging her to go fast and maintain her pace during the race.