Paris Olympics beckon: Indian relay teams seal 4x400m berths

The Indian mens and womens 4x400m relay contingents have clinched spots for the Paris Olympics finishing second in their respective secondround heats at the World Athletics Relays held on MondayIn the womens event the quartet comprising Rupal Chaudhary M R Poovamma Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3 minutes and 2935 seconds to secure second place behind Jamaica 32854 in heat number one thus earning a ticket to the GamesSubsequently the mens team composed of Muhammed Anas Yahiya Muhammed Ajmal Arokia Rajiv and Amoj Jacob posted a collective time of 3 minutes and 323 seconds to also claim second position in their heat trailing behind the USA 25995The top two teams in each of the three heats in the second round secured Olympic berths for the Paris Olympics scheduled from July 26 to August 11The qualification of the womens 4x400m team for the Olympics came as somewhat of a surprise given that the focus had primarily been on the mens 4x400m squad which had set an Asian record in consecutive global eventsmdashthe Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Championshipsmdashas well as clinching gold at the 2023 Asian GamesThe Indian womens team had finished fifth in the firstround qualifying heat on Sunday recording a time of 3 minutes and 2974 secondsIn contrast the mens team had encountered setbacks in the firstround qualifying heat when Rajesh Ramesh withdrew midway due to cramps Arokia Rajiv replaced Ramesh and ran the third leg after Anas and AjmalDespite the mens teams timing on Monday falling short of their best the focus remained on securing Olympic qualification The Indian mens team had previously set an Asian record of 30025 at the Tokyo Olympics before improving it to 25905 during the 2023 World Championships Mondays timing was below their previous recordAlso Read Indian walkers Akshdeep Priyanka qualify for Paris Olympics in mixedrelayIndia had even put up a strong challenge against the formidable USA during the heat race at the 2023 Budapest World Championships before settling for second placeMeanwhile India withdrew from the mixed 4x400m relay secondround heats on Monday due to Rameshs absence after suffering muscle cramps during the mens 4x400m firstround heat on Sunday Ramesh had participated in both the mixed 4x400m and mens 4x400m races on SundayIndia had featured in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Tokyo Olympics where the event made its debutThe Indian womens 4x400m relay team will be making a comeback to the Olympics after missing out in the Tokyo Games This will mark the eighth appearance for the Indian womens 4x400m team with their first participation dating back to the 1984 GamesFor the mens 4x400m team this will be their fourth Olympic appearance with their debut taking place at the 2000 Sydney GamesWith this development India now boasts at least 19 track and field athletes bound for Paris including defending javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra among othersThe athletics events at the Games are set to commence on August 1 A total of 70 teams have qualified for relay events at the Paris Olympics following two days of thrilling action at the World Athletics Relays in the BahamasFourteen teams in each of the five disciplines contested in Nassaumdashthe womens and mens 4x100m and 4x400m relays along with the mixed 4x400mmdashsecured automatic berths for Paris The first 40 qualified teamsmdasheight in each of the five relay eventsmdashwere confirmed on Sunday with the final 30 teams securing qualification on Monday following a second round of Olympic qualifying for teams that missed out on the first day