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Indian 400m hurdler Vithya Ramraj has challenged gender-based assumptions about sporting ability and described the sacrifices behind her rise, in an interview published by Outlook India on October 27, 2026. Ramraj, 28, made headlines at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September by running 54.75 seconds for bronze and breaking the national record of 55.42 seconds held by P.T. Usha since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Ramraj told Outlook India that women athletes face scrutiny not only over their performances but also over their clothing and whether girls should pursue sport. She recalled people questioning her parents for allowing their daughters to compete in athletics because athletes wear shorts. Her father, she said, backed their decision because the girls wanted to run.
Asked about the debate comparing an average male with a professional female athlete, Ramraj argued that sport should be about giving one’s best rather than claiming one gender is inherently superior. Her response to those who question women’s athletic ability was direct: “Come and run with me. We will compete together, and then we will see who wins.”
She also described the limits placed on women’s freedom to dress for sport. Clothing that is practical on the track, she said, is not always accepted outside it. Her comments put a personal perspective on the social pressures that can surround women athletes even as they compete at elite level.
At the Asian Games in Nagoya, Ramraj clocked 54.75 seconds in the women’s 400m hurdles final to win bronze and set a new Indian national record. Usha’s 55.42-second mark had stood since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she finished fourth. Ramraj had matched that time at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, also winning bronze, but needed three more years to move beyond it.
Ramraj told Outlook that she and coach Nehpal Singh Rathore had not approached the 2026 season solely in pursuit of a particular medal colour or the record. She said the pair had set a goal of improving after injuries following the Olympics and Asian Championships. While others questioned whether she could run in the 54-second range, her coach believed she could make the breakthrough.
The record brought a surge in public recognition. Ramraj said her Instagram following increased from around 5,000 to 92,000 in just three days. She described the attention as difficult to understand and said she hoped one day to reach the level of popularity enjoyed by javelin champion Neeraj Chopra.
Ramraj credited her twin sister Nithya, a 100m hurdles athlete who joined the Income Tax Department in 2018, with being central to her career. The sisters trained together, and Nithya encouraged Vithya to continue demanding sessions when she was physically exhausted. Ramraj said her sister also helped cover expenses such as travel tickets and accommodation when the family had limited resources.
Ramraj began athletics in Class VII in 2009 and spent much of her early career living in a sports hostel. She recalled that her first national competition was meant to be in the 600 metres, but a misunderstanding placed her in the hurdles instead. She had never practised the event before and fell at the first hurdle. That accidental introduction eventually led her to the discipline in which she would rewrite the national record.
She said her parents faced criticism for raising three daughters and supporting them in sport. Her father worked as a truck driver, and Ramraj recalled learning that he had sometimes skipped meals to afford shoes for her. She said she now wants to use her earnings to give her parents the things they could not afford when she was growing up.
The 400m hurdles bronze was not Ramraj’s only major result in Nagoya. She also ran the anchor leg for India’s women’s 4x400m relay team, alongside Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma and Prachi Chaudhary. The quartet clocked 3:29.69 to win gold ahead of Bahrain and China, giving Ramraj the experience of hearing the Indian national anthem after a medal-winning performance.
Ramraj said the relay victory was especially meaningful because the women’s team delivered India’s only athletics gold at the Games. The result complemented her individual record and showed how she contributed in both individual and team events during the championship.
After achieving her Asian Games target, Ramraj said her attention was turning towards the World Championships. Her coach had asked her to take a few days off before starting the next season, with the aim of returning improved. The record has brought wider recognition, but Ramraj’s own focus remains on development and the work still required to compete at the highest international level.
Her interview also highlights the support structures behind elite performance: coaching, family encouragement and the ability to keep training despite social expectations and financial pressures. For young athletes, particularly girls considering competitive sport, Ramraj’s story is both a record-breaking sporting achievement and a reminder of the people who make such careers possible.
