India’s men’s and women’s 4×400 meter relay teams qualify for Paris Olympics 2024
Currently India has 19 track and field competitors headed to Paris, including Neeraj Chopra, the reigning javelin throw champion
On Monday, May 6th, 2024, Indian men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams qualified for the Paris Olympics at the World Athletics Relays in Bahamas, after finishing second in their respective second-round heat.
At the Budapest World Championships, a breathtaking sub-3-minute run made headlines, followed by a fifth-place result in the final. There was pressure on the foursome to perform well in the Bahamas on Saturday as they competed in the Olympic Qualifying Round.
However, in the second leg, Rajesh Ramesh—who ran a remarkable anchor leg in Budapest—pulled up sore. A race that, more crucially, had no timing recorded, began with high expectations and ended in despair. However, the team recovered on Sunday, finishing behind the USA but ahead of Mexico and Kenya to guarantee their spot in the Paris Olympics. Veteran Arokia Rajv replaced Ramesh in that game. Arokia, Amoj Jacob, Muhammad Anas, and Muhammad Ajmal raced a season-best 3:03.23 to confirm their automatic qualification.
Although they were the first Indian team to take the track at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, the mixed 4x400m relay trio of Rajesh Ramesh, Rupal, Avinash Krishna Kumar, and Jyothika Sri Dandi could only manage a sixth-place finish in heat 2 with a pace of 3:20.36.
In heat 4, the men’s 4×400-meter relay team from India, consisting of Muhammad Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammad Ajmal, and Amoj Jacob, failed to complete their race. This quartet not only holds the national and Asian records in the event but also won the gold medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023.
Ramesh was hurt in the second split and was unable to continue, while Anas ran the second-best time of the teams in the heat with a 45.93 in the first. Muscle spasms in Rajesh Ramesh’s legs caused him to fall, the Athletics Federation of India reports. In the men’s 4x400m, Botswana (2:59.73) and South Africa (2:59.76) won the heat and qualified for Paris 2024.
Rupal Chaudhary, MR Poovamma, Jyothika Sri Dandi, and Subha Venkatesan, who competed in the women’s 4x400m relay earlier in the day, also capitalized on the second-chance saloon to earn a trip to Paris 2024. With a time of 3:29.35, the foursome finished behind Jamaica but in front of Germany, Brazil, and Colombia. The mixed 4x400m relay team did not begin in the second qualifying round, most likely to guarantee that the men’s and women’s squads were rested for their last opportunity.
Rupal, 19, took Vithya Ramraj’s position in the women’s 4×400 and gave India a respectable start in the heat when just five countries were vying for the two berths. But India was under early strain because of Germany’s impressive start. Luckily for India, there was a major misunderstanding inside the German ranks. India took the lead thanks to it and a great second leg from Jyothika. Poovamma and Subha then raced strong legs to finish second and meet their quota with ease.
Even if the Indian competitors’ attempt to meet their Olympic quota on Sunday was unsuccessful, they will have another opportunity on Sunday. The top two teams from each heat will also qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, along with all other teams who did not advance to the finals.
They can still qualify for Paris 2024 based on the top lists during the qualifying period, which spans from December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024, even if they don’t make the Olympic cut at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24. The top lists will be used to distribute two quotas. With this, India has 19 track and field competitors headed to Paris, including Neeraj Chopra, the reigning javelin throw champion. On August 1, the Games’ athletics competitions will get underway.
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