India clock 3:29.69 to finish ahead of Bahrain and China; Vithya adds third medal of the Games
Nagoya,
Indian women delivered a memorable performance at the Asian Games 2026, winning the gold medal in the women’s 4x400m relay on Tuesday. The Indian quartet of Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi and Vithya Ramraj finished first with a time of 3:29.69.
Bahrain claimed the silver medal with a timing of 3:30.21, finishing just 0.52 seconds behind India, while China took the bronze with 3:31.02. Japan finished fourth in 3:31.44, followed by Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei.
India started the relay from Lane 6, with Kiran Pahal taking responsibility for the opening leg. Kiran handed over the baton in third position, leaving experienced runner M.R. Poovamma with the task of closing the gap.
Poovamma produced a strong second leg and brought India firmly into medal contention before handing the baton to Prachi. Having already won an individual bronze medal in the 400m, Prachi maintained India’s position among the leading teams and ensured that Vithya received the baton in a strong position for the anchor leg.
Vithya then took charge of the final lap. She quickly found her rhythm and began reducing the gap with the runners ahead. Around the 200m mark, she increased her pace and put India in a commanding position.
Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser continued to chase strongly and gradually reduced the deficit, but Vithya had built enough of a lead early in the final leg to withstand the challenge. Maintaining her composure through the closing stages, Vithya crossed the finish line first to secure gold for India.
The victory also completed a three-medal haul for Vithya Ramraj at the Asian Games 2026. She had previously won silver and bronze medals in her other events. Just a day earlier, she had also broken a decades-old national record in the women’s 400m hurdles.
For Vithya, the relay gold provided a memorable conclusion to her three-medal campaign. Her performance in the final added another highlight to an impressive Games campaign and further underlined her contribution to India’s success on the track.
