India's Animesh Kujur shattered the national record to win the bronze medal in the men's 200m final at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, on Saturday.

The 21-year-old from Odisha clocked 20.32s to better his own national record of 20.40s and claim the final spot on the podium. Earlier this year, he set the national record at 20.40s during the Federation Cup.

With this medal, the Indian sprinter ended India's 10-year wait for a medal in the men's 200m at the Asian Championships. In 2015, Dharambir Singh became the first Indian sprinter ever to win a medal in the men's 200m at the continental championships.

Japan's Towa Uzawa clinched the gold medal with a meet record timing of 20.12s. Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Atafi won the silver medal with a personal best time of 20.31s.

Kujur has been in fiery form since last year. He came close to breaking the national 200m record multiple times, clocking 20.65s twice at the Inter State Athletics Championships and the Indian Open U-23 Championships. He also ran 20.57s at the All India Inter University Meet, but his timing could not be counted as the event was not recognised by World Athletics.

But 2025 saw him rise to a new level. At the Federation Cup in Kochi, he broke Amlan Borgohain’s national record of 20.52s, set at the 2022 Federation Cup, with a stunning timing of 20.40s. And now, he has raised the bar once more, clocking 20.32s to set a new personal best and national record.

Adding to Kujur's success, India's Vithya Ramraj bagged the day's second bronze at the Championships, clocking 56.46s in the women’s 400m hurdles. However, the timing was slower than her personal best of 55.42s, set in 2023. China's Mo Jiadie (55.31s) won the gold medal, while Bahrain's Mujidat Adekoya settled for the silver medal for clocking 55.32s.

Ramraj's bronze was India’s 20th medal in the ongoing competition. The country stands second behind China, with 8 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals.