Early Arrival in Bahamas and Strategy to Shadow US Team Secured Paris 2024 Qualification for India’s Relay Squad: Amoj Jacob

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New Delhi, May 28: The Indian men's 4x400m relay team, featuring Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Muhammed Ajmal, Arokia Rajiv, and Amoj Jacob, secured its berth in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The quartet finished second behind the United States in the Olympic Qualifying Round 2 of the World Relays Championship in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Coached by Jamaican Jason Dawson and financially supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the team reached The Bahamas a month ahead of the event to acclimatise. The results were evident as the team performed exceptionally well.

With a determination to improve their timing and qualify for the Paris Olympics, the Indian men's 4x400m relay team had strategised to keep pace with the formidable USA team at the World Athletics Relays, sprinter Amoj Jacob, who ran the anchor leg, revealed.

As a result, the Indian quartet clocked a collective time of 3 minutes and 3.23 seconds, while the USA expectedly topped the heat with a timing of 2:59.95. The Indian team was in third position when anchor-leg runner Jacob took the baton from Arokia. Jacob ran an outstanding race, overtaking his Mexican opponent to finish second.

In a candid conversation with SAI Media, Jacob discussed qualifying for Paris 2024 and the team's stellar performance at last year's World Athletics Championships, where they broke the sub-3-minute mark twice and finished fifth.

"We knew that we had the US in our heats and they usually run below 3 minutes. So, our plan was to stay close to them in the race, which would not only improve our time but also help us qualify for the Paris Games," Jacob told SAI Media. "Our target was to register a time between 3:00 and 3:10 to boost our confidence going into the Paris Olympics," he added.

AFI and SAI's decision to set up the team's base in the US a month before the competition did wonders for the team as other teams arrived in Nassau just a week ahead of the event. Jacob revealed that it took him and his team at least a week to adapt to the US timings, which also played a big role.

"My body took almost a week to adapt to the weather conditions and time difference there. I was sleeping in the afternoon and not being able to sleep at night due to the time zone change. The entire team encountered the same problem and it was good that we reached the Bahamas a month earlier. However, looking at the same beach every day did get boring," he remarked.

India had failed to finish in the first-round qualifying heat after the second leg runner Rajesh Ramesh pulled out midway due to cramps. Rajiv replaced Rajesh Ramesh in the team and ran the third leg after Anas and Ajmal.

Speaking about Rajesh's injury Jacob said, "It was unfortunate that Rajesh Ramesh suffered a hamstring injury in the Olympic Qualifying Round 1. Otherwise, the team could have comfortably clocked below 3-minute time. Despite the setback, we were able to book our berth for the Olympics. That is highly motivating."

Asked how his team adapted to Rajesh Ramesh's absence with injury, he said, it wasn't tough because they were all practising together. "It was easy because we were practising together. And we had trained the baton exchange with different combinations. The only concern was to ensure that no one else got injured."

"In fact, it is easier than 100 meters relay where better coordination is required. So, it was an easy transition for us. And because Rajiv was with us for a long time, he was in the camp, he was our senior. So, he knew what to expect and what not. And it was easy only," the 26-year-old sprinter added further.

Asked if they were feeling any pressure of expectations after the high in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, the Delhi-born athlete claimed, "There was no such pressure now but it was immense pressure during the World Championships final and in the Asian Games.

"We knew that we had the US in our Heats and they mostly run below 3 minutes. So, our plan was to stay close to them in the race, which will not only improve our time but also help us qualify for the Paris Games," he signed off.