Asian Games: Vithya Ramraj equals PT Usha's 49-year old national record

Vithya Ramraj has equalled the legendary PT Usha's 49-year old national record of 55.42 seconds in women's 400m hurdles at the heat this morning at Hangzhou Asian Games.

The 24-year old Vithya came first in her heat and earned a place in the final, which is scheduled on October 3.

Usha set the record at the Los Angeles Olympics. Usha finished fourth in the 400m hurdles in 1984 multi-sport showpiece with a timing of 55.42 seconds, missing the bronze by an agonising one-hundredth of a second.

It remained India’s second longest-running national record while Shivnath Singh’s national record in marathon set in 1978 is oldest national record in athletics.

Last month at India Grand Prix 5 held in Chandigarh, Vithya clocked 55.43s in the run up to the Asian Games.

Vithya's timing at Hangzhou is the second best in the overall standing at the heat. Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya, who recorded Asia’s best time of 53.09 seconds earlier in the year, clocked 55.17 to come first in the second heat of the event.