Indian athletes Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami have clinched a spot at the Paris Olympics in the mixed relay walking event. The duo achieved this feat by finishing 18th at the World Athletics Walking Team Championships.
With only the top 22 teams earning automatic qualification for the Paris Olympics, Singh and Goswami’s performance was instrumental. They achieved a personal best score of 42, covering a distance of 195 km in three hours, five minutes, and three seconds.
In the mixed team relay walk, male and female athletes alternate covering the distance. The male athlete begins with a 12.195 km run, followed by the female athlete covering 10 km. This pattern continues, with both men and women walking ten kilometres each. A changeover zone of 20 meters is designated before the start of each stage.
The Italian team secured the gold medal in the event, followed by Japan in second place and Spain in third. Singh and Goswami’s qualification marks a significant achievement for Indian athletics and sets the stage for their participation on the global stage at the Paris Olympics.
