World Athletics Relays 24: Paris 2024 quotas elude Indian teams on opening day

The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Rajesh Ramesh, Rupal, Avinash Krishna Kumar and Jyothika Sri Dandi were the first Indian team to take the tracks at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium but could only manage a sixth-place finish in heat 2 with a timing of 3:20.36.

The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob, the quartet who won the Asian Games gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and also holds the national and Asian records in the event, did not finish their race in heat 4.

Anas ran a 45.93 in the opening split, the second-best among the teams in the heat, but unfortunately, Ramesh couldn’t continue in the second due to an injury. Rajesh Ramesh fell after suffering cramps in his leg muscles, according to the Athletics Federation of India.

Botswana (2:59.73) and South Africa (2:59.76) topped the heat and secured Paris 2024 qualification in the men’s 4x400m.

In the women’s 4x400m relay competition, the Indian quartet of Vithya Ramraj, MR Poovamma, Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3:29.74 to finish fifth in heat 1.

Though the Indian athletes missed their shot at an Olympic quota on Sunday, they will have another chance on Sunday. All teams who failed to make the finals will compete in an additional qualifying round and the top two teams from each heat will also qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Even if they fail to make the Olympic cut at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, they can also qualify for Paris 2024 based on the top lists during the qualification period, which runs from December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024. Two quotas will be allocated through the top lists.