Vithya Ramraj Anchors India to Gold in Women’s 4x400m Relay at Asian Games

Vithya seals a three-medal Asian Games campaign as India edge Bahrain and China in a thrilling relay final

Nagoya, Sept 2026 : Vithya Ramraj capped a remarkable Asian Games campaign in golden fashion as she anchored India to victory in the women’s 4x400m relay on Tuesday, helping the quartet clock 3:29.69 and finish at the top of a tightly contested final.

India’s team of Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi and Vithya held their composure under pressure to secure the gold medal. Bahrain finished second in 3:30.21, while China claimed the bronze in 3:31.02.

The victory marked the perfect conclusion to an outstanding Games for Vithya, who collected her third medal of the competition. She had previously won silver and bronze in her individual events and had also rewritten the national record in the women’s 400m hurdles just a day earlier.

Starting in lane six, India handed the opening leg to Kiran, who produced a determined run and brought the team into the exchange zone in third position. Experienced campaigner Poovamma then took charge of the second leg and quickly reduced the deficit, moving India into contention for the lead.

Poovamma's strong effort ensured that India remained firmly in the medal battle before handing the baton to Prachi. Having already won an individual bronze in the 400m, Prachi maintained the team's momentum and delivered the baton to Vithya in a competitive position.

The decisive moment came during the final lap.

Vithya settled into her rhythm early in the anchor leg and began closing the gap on the leaders. She made a significant move around the 200m mark, putting India firmly in contention for gold.

Bahrain's Salwa Eid Nasr, known for her strong finishing ability, responded with a determined challenge and began cutting into India's advantage. Vithya, however, had created enough of a cushion early in the final leg to withstand the late pressure.

Maintaining her composure through the final stretch, Vithya crossed the finish line first to trigger celebrations among the Indian contingent.

India's gold also improved on its silver-medal finish in the women's 4x400m relay at the previous edition of the Asian Games.

For Vithya, the relay triumph completed an extraordinary three-medal campaign and added another highlight to a competition in which she emerged as one of India's prominent track athletes.

The narrow margin between the top two teams underlined the intensity of the final. Bahrain's 3:30.21 was just 0.52 seconds behind India's winning time, while China finished third in 3:31.02. Japan placed fourth in 3:31.44, followed by Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei.

The victory provided a memorable finish to India's athletics campaign, with Kiran, Poovamma, Prachi and Vithya combining effectively to convert a closely fought race into a gold-medal performance.