The Indian women’s 4x400m relay team and the men’s team have both successfully secured their berths for the Paris Olympics.
In the second round of the World Athletics Relays held in Nassau, Bahamas, the Indian women’s 4x400m relay team clinched their spot by securing second place in their heat. Rupal Chaudhary, MR Poovamma, Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan completed the race in 3:29.35 seconds, finishing behind Jamaica with a time of 3:28.54 seconds. This achievement follows their fifth-place finish in the first round of qualifying, where they recorded a time of 3:29.74 seconds.
Similarly, the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team, comprising Mohammad Anas Yahia, Mohammad Ajmal, Arokia Rajeev, and Amoz Jacob, also claimed their spot in Paris. They finished second in their heat with a time of 3:3.23 seconds, trailing behind the United States with a time of 2:59.95 seconds. The top two teams from each heat in the second round secured qualification for the Paris Olympics.
Notably, the Indian men’s team faced a setback in the first round of qualifying as they were unable to finish the race due to cramps experienced by second-leg runner Rajesh Ramesh. However, their stellar performance in the second round ensured their place in the Olympics.
With these qualifications, India now boasts a total of 19 track and field athletes set to compete in the Paris Olympics, including the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. Athletics events at the Paris Olympics are scheduled to commence from August 1, marking another milestone for Indian athletics on the global stage.
