Tamil Nadu’s Rajesh Ramesh, a 27-year-old international quarter-miler, showcased his dominance at the Seventh Indian Open 400m Competition 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram by clinching gold in the men’s Race A with a time of 45.26 seconds. This performance surpassed his previous personal best of 45.54 seconds set in 2024. After recovering from injuries following the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Ramesh made a strong comeback in 2025, recording a season-best time of 45.75 seconds.
In the same competition, Manu TS from NCOE Trivandrum secured the second position in Race A with a time of 45.96 seconds, while Amoj Jacob from Delhi emerged victorious in Race C, finishing third overall in the men’s category with a time of 45.99 seconds. The men’s final race was divided into three groups—A, B, C, while the women’s final race comprised categories A and B.
Vithya Ramraj of Tamil Nadu claimed victory in the women’s 400m race, clocking 53.31 seconds, followed by Rashdeep Kaur from JSW in second place with a time of 53.62 seconds. Both athletes topped Group A in their respective positions. Vijay Kumari GK from Karnataka won Race B with a time of 53.55 seconds, securing the third spot in the women’s 400m race overall.
The competition also included events for U20 and U18 groups in both men’s and women’s categories, showcasing promising talents across various age groups.
