49.20! Naser Smashes Games Record to Retake 400m Crown

Salwa Eid Naser stormed to the women’s 400m title at the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday, setting a new Games record of 49.20 seconds to reclaim the crown she first won in 2018.

The Bahrain star dominated the final, finishing more than three seconds clear of Iran’s Zahra Zarei Manoujan, who took silver in 52.38, while India’s Prachi claimed bronze in 53.21.

Naser’s 49.20 erased the previous Asian Games record and added another major title to the decorated sprinter’s career.

The victory also marked her return to the top of the Asian Games podium after she missed the 2022 edition because of a whereabouts anti-doping violation.

Naser, who won the Asian Games 400m title in Jakarta in 2018, produced a season’s best performance to underline her resurgence on the continental stage.

South Korea’s Seoyoon Kim finished fourth in 53.38, followed by India’s Kiran in 53.41, Kazakhstan’s Mariya Shuvalova in 53.59 and Japan’s Nanako Matsumoto in 54.29.

Naser’s winning time of 49.20 was the only sub-50-second performance in the final and gave Bahrain another major athletics title at the Games.