World Athletics Relays: Heartbreak For Indian Men’s 4x400m Team After Rajesh Ramesh Pulls Out

Nassau (Bahamas): The Indian team were left heartbroken after second leg runner Rajesh Ramesh pulled out injured as the men’s 4x400m team failed to finish their heat race in the World Athletics Relays on Sunday. Muhammed Anas Yahiya started the first leg for India before passing on the baton to Ramesh. However, the 25-year-old left the race while clutching his left leg. The detail of Ramesh’s injury is yet to be known. Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob were to follow. Had the Indian quartet finished in top two of the heat race, they would have booked their ticket to Paris Olympics in the category. Earlier, Ramesh had run the mixed 4x400m race.

India will have another chance on Monday during round two of Olympics qualifications where all the other teams which finished outside top-two in their respective heats on Sunday will try their luck for another shot at the Paris Games. The teams are expected to be divided into three heats and top two from each of them will book Paris ticket.

The same quartet had set an Asian record of 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds at the 2023 Budapest World Championships. India had failed to get past the heat round in the Tokyo Olympics. India also failed to make the Paris Olympics cut in women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays on the first day of qualifications. Both the Indian teams of mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m will have to wait for Monday’s round two of Olympics qualifications.

In the mixed 4x400m event, the Indian quartet of Rajesh Ramesh, Rupal Chaudhary, Avinash Krishna Kumar and Jyothika Sri Dandi ran a poor race to finish sixth in heat number two with a time of 3 minutes and 20.36 seconds. Later, the Indian quartet of Vithya Ramraj, M R Poovamma, Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan finished fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 29.74 seconds.

The top two teams in each of the four heat races here qualify for the Paris Olympics to be held from July 16 to August 11. The remaining teams in all the heats will compete again on Monday in another qualification round for another six Paris Olympics spots. The format is the same for all the five relay races — men’s and women’s 4x100m, men’s and women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m — being held.