Asian Relay Championships: India's Mixed 4x400 Relay Team Sets National Record but Misses Paris Olympics Cut

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Bangkok, May 20: India's mixed 4x400 relay team clinched the gold medal at the inaugural Asian Relay Championships held here on Monday (May 20), setting a new national record. However, the team's performance fell short of the time needed to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

The Indian quartet, consisting of Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob, and Subha Venkatesan, completed the race in 3 minutes and 14.12 seconds, surpassing the previous national record of 3:14.34, which was set at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

The team led throughout all four legs of the race, showcasing their dominance. Sri Lanka and Vietnam finished second and third with times of 3:17.00 and 3:18.45, respectively.

Despite their victory and record-breaking performance, the Indian team narrowly missed the target to enter the Paris Olympics qualification bracket. The team aimed to secure a spot among the top 16 in the "Road to Paris" list of World Athletics. Unfortunately, their timing only advanced them to the 21st place from their previous 23rd position.

To qualify for the Paris Olympics, teams need to be among the top 16, with fourteen teams already securing their spots during the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas earlier this month.

This leaves only two remaining spots to be filled based on the best timings by the qualification deadline of June 30. The Czech Republic and Italy currently hold the 15th and 16th spots with times of 3:11.98 and 3:13.56, respectively.

India's target was to achieve a time better than 3:13.56 to secure at least the 16th spot. Despite their efforts, they fell short of this mark. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) may now consider sending the mixed 4x400m relay team to international competitions before the June 30 deadline in a bid to improve their timing and qualify for the Olympics.

The Indian relay teams will continue their participation in the Asian Relay Championships, competing in the men's and women's 4x400m relay races on Day 2, Tuesday.

The mixed 4x400m relay team had a disappointing outing in the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, where they failed to advance from the heat race of the first-round qualifiers. An injury to Rajesh Ramesh during the men's 4x400m relay race led to the team pulling out of the second-round qualifiers heat race. However, both the men's and women's 4x400m relay teams later secured their spots for Paris during the second-round qualification heat races.

The journey to the Paris Olympics continues to be challenging for India's mixed 4x400 relay team, but their recent performance in Bangkok reflects their potential and determination to achieve their Olympic dreams.