NAGOYA: HER initial target to break the women's 400m hurdles national record -- the country's longest-standing and one of its most famous athletics records -- was at the India Athletics Final Series in Delhi on September 10. Vithya Ramaraj stumbled on a hurdle and missed out. If they had succeeded in Delhi, the natural progression would have been a sub-53s here. But God had other plans as Vithya broke PT Usha’s record set in 1984 LA Games at the Asian Games here on Monday.
The conditions were not ideal for athletics. Rain was battering the sprawling Paloma Mizohu Sports Park arena throughout the evening. Vithya, a firm believer, had only one wish: for the rain to stay away. Alas, when she was warming up, it had already started raining.
However, God did answer her prayers when she needed it the most. The interlude was enough for her to complete the race; the initial burst off the blocks was slow, but she picked up her rhythm in the next six hurdles. With the crowd breaking into a cauldron of noise, the runners picked up the pace. The giant display board displayed her timing: 54.75s. The smile never left when she walked into the mixed zone. “I prayed to God,” she kept repeating. It took her three years to break the record after equalling Usha’s record at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou. In the end, a bronze medal was a fine reward for the years of perseverance and toil.
Vithya’s personal coach was in the stands. She was communicating with him from the starting block through hand gestures. If she believed in God, the coach believed in her. Nehpal Singh has just one passion in life – coaching. He told Vithya that she would break the 55-second barrier. “When my coach said you are around 55 (seconds), I never believed him,” she said. “But today (Monday), I believed him. My coach is with me, my God is with me.”
Pressure in elite sport can be unnerving. Heart may race a little faster – detrimental to sprinters. Like during the race, the heart too should have a steady rhythm. “I did my season’s best on Sunday and today my personal best. My coach is always right. He said 'go for 54.'”
For Vithya, the timing is as big as the medal, if not bigger. There is a simple philosophy behind this: “Medal is in our hands, but time is not. This race will not come tomorrow or yesterday. Today is our day, so I go for timing, not just for medal. This was the oldest Indian record, Usha ma'am's record.”
As soon as the record fell, Usha congratulated the athlete from TN. "Records are meant to be broken," she posted. "There is no greater reward for an athlete than to see the next generation go beyond the boundaries we once set. Vithya Ramraj breaking my 43-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles is an incredibly special moment."
This record could have easily been eclipsed three years ago at Hangzhou, but she had missed it by the narrowest margin. “At those Asian Games, I was not nervous," she said. "It was my first international in front of a big crowd. My coach was also not with me,” she said.
This time, though, AFI supported her and helped her bring her coach inside the track. This time, it was different. For the last three years, the 'question of when' has accompanied Vithya wherever she has raced. From Tuesday, the goalposts will change. A sub-53.50 seconds.
