Indian men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams secure Paris 2024 Olympic quotas
India did not field a mixed relay team in the second qualifying round on Sunday but can still qualify a team in the event through the tops list.
After drawing a blank on the opening day, the Indian men’s and women’s 4x400m teams secured Paris 2024 Olympic quotas at the World Athletics Relays 24 in Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday.
The top 14 teams in each event at the Nassau meet obtained Paris 2024 Olympic quotas for their respective countries.
On Saturday, quotas were on offer to the top two teams in each heat in every relay event.
Though Indian athletes missed their first shot at an Olympic quota on the opening day, they had another chance on Sunday. All teams that failed to qualify on Saturday, competed in an additional qualifying round on Sunday and the top two teams from each heat earned tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Indian runners made their second chance count.
The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Muhammed Ajmal, Arokia Rajiv and Amoj Jacob clocked a season’s best time of 3:03.23 to finish behind the USA in heat 2 to seal their berth.
Arokia Rajiv came into the team in place of the injured Rajesh Ramesh, who had to pull out of the men’s 4x400m relay race on Saturday, resulting in a DNF (did not finish) for the Indian team.
In the women’s 4x400m relay race at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, the quartet of Rupal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, MR Poovamma and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3:29.35 to finish behind Jamaica in their heat and earned India a quota.
Rupal replaced Vithya Ramraj from the team which competed on Saturday.
Indian runners, though, didn't start in the second heat of the second mixed relay qualifying round on Sunday. However, India can still qualify a team for the event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Two quotas will be allocated based on the top list during the qualification period, which runs from December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024.