The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team’s hopes of qualifying for the Paris Olympics were dashed on Sunday as they failed to finish their heat race at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia, Poland. The quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal, and Amoj Jacob had been aiming for a top-two finish in heat number four to secure their ticket to Paris, but their dreams were shattered when Ramesh was forced to pull out due to cramps.
Anas had already completed the first leg in a time of 45.93 seconds when Ramesh, running the second leg, collapsed at the first bend, clutching his left leg. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) later confirmed that Ramesh had suffered cramps in his leg muscles.
The setback was particularly disappointing for the Indian team, who had set an Asian record of 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds at the 2023 Budapest World Championships. They had also failed to progress beyond the heat round in the Tokyo Olympics.
India will have another chance to qualify for the Paris Games on Monday during round two of the Olympic qualifications. All the teams that finished outside the top two in their respective heats on Sunday will compete for the remaining six Paris tickets. The teams will be divided into three heats, with the top two from each heat advancing to the Olympics.
In addition to the men’s 4x400m relay, India also failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics in the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays on the first day of qualifications. Both teams will have to wait for Monday’s round two of Olympic qualifications for another shot at the Paris Games.
