The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team, comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal, and Amoj Jacob, entered the heat race with aspirations of booking their spot at the Paris Olympics by securing a top-two finish. However, their hopes were shattered when Ramesh, who was running the second leg, suffered from debilitating leg cramps and was forced to abandon the race prematurely. Anas had already completed the first leg by that point.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) released a statement acknowledging the team’s promising start, highlighting that Anas clocked 45.93 seconds in the first leg. However, the statement also confirmed the unfortunate turn of events that led to Ramesh’s withdrawal: “The men’s 4x400m relay team had a good start. Muhammad Anas clocked 45.93 seconds in the first leg, but the second runner — Rajesh Ramesh — fell down due to cramps in leg muscles at the first bend”.
Ramesh had also participated in the mixed 4x400m race just three hours before the men’s event, which may have contributed to his physical strain. The Indian team will have another chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics on Monday in the second round of qualifications, where all teams that failed to secure a top-two finish in their respective heats on Sunday will compete for the remaining spots. The teams will be divided into three heats, with the top two finishers from each heat advancing to the Paris Games.
The same quartet that represented India in Sunday’s race had previously set an Asian record of 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds at the 2023 Budapest World Championships. Unfortunately, the team had fallen short of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics during the heat round.
India also faced setbacks in the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays on the first day of qualifications, failing to meet the qualifying standards. Both teams will have an opportunity to redeem themselves in the second round of qualifications on Monday.
The format for all five relay races (men’s and women’s 4x100m, men’s and women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m) remains the same. The top two teams in each heat will qualify directly for the Paris Olympics, while the remaining teams will compete in a second qualification round on Monday for additional Olympic berths.
