‘She can go sub-54’: After breaking PT Usha’s record, Vithya’s coach sets new target
Coach Nehpal Singh has set a new performance target for athlete Vithya Ramraj after she broke PT Usha's 42-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles. The coach expressed confidence in her ability to dip under 54 seconds following her recent progression and dedication.
Why it matters
This achievement marks a significant milestone in Indian athletics, highlighting the evolution of training standards and individual performance in the sport.
Nehpal Singh is basking in the glory as the coach of Vithya Ramraj who bettered PT Usha's 42-year-old record, three years after equalling that elusive record in the women's 400m hurdles at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou.Asked about the five-year plan, which took Indian athletics to a new high with his ward dipping under the 55-second and lowering the new mark to 54.75 seconds, the coach from Rajasthan, whose family is settled in Salem for the last 20 years, said: "Vithya would have set the record last year itself but for the injury at the Asian championships. She sustained a serious ankle injury but ran with the swollen ankles at the Asian meet and still won the bronze.This year I was waiting eagerly for everything to go right and today she did it.""I knew she would peak in this competition.
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