Athletics
World Relays: Indian contingent sets eye on Paris Olympics qualification
Here is everything you need to know about the World Relays 2024 in the Bahamas with the schedule, timings, and details of the Indian team.
India's 4x400m men's relay team of Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammad Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, and Muhammad Anas Yahiya
Indian quarter-milers will have their eyes set on the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification as World Athletics Relays Bahamas goes underway in scenic Nassau on Saturday.
India has sent a strong 15-member contingent to take part in the men's 4x400m relay, women's 4x400m relay, and mixed 4x400m relay.
Coming on the back of a brilliant season in 2023, India would be hoping to reset the national and Asian record of 2:59.05 seconds set by the quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal, and Rajesh Ramesh in Budapest.
The Indian men's 4x400 relay team has been making waves of late, coming up with impressive performances at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and following it up by challenging the USA's aura of invincibility at the World Championships in Budapest last August.
The team then lived up to the billing by clinching gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games with a tremendous run of 3:01.58.
India has sent an eight-member men's 4x400m relay team here, including the Asian Games gold-medallist quartet of Amoj Jacob, Muhammad Anas Yahiya, Muhammad Ajmal, and Rajesh Ramesh.
The squad also includes 2018 Jakarta Asian Games mixed relay gold medallist Rajiv Arokia, Noah Nirmal Tom, Yashas Palaksha, and Avinash Krishna Kumar.
Amoj, Arokia Rajiv, Nirmal, and Anas had also competed at the Tokyo Olympics, where they put up a commendable performance but missed out on a place in the final by a whisker on their way to setting an Asian record of 3:00.25.
India has also entered a seasoned seven-member squad for the women's 4x400m relay event, led by multiple Asian Games gold-medal winner MR Poovamma. The squad also has the Hangzhou Asian Games silver medal-winning team of Vithya Ramraj, Aishwarya Mishra, Prachi, and Subha Venkatesan.
Format of World Relays 2024
As per the World Relay format for Paris, the two top teams in each heat on Saturday will advance to the final a day later. They will also secure Paris 2024 Olympic quotas in the process.
The Olympic lane seeding positions will be decided in the finals on Sunday and those will also be competing for medals.
All the other teams will compete in an additional round on Sunday where the top-two teams in each heat will also qualify for Paris.
A total of 32 teams will be in the fray in men's 4x400m, while 27 teams are in contention in women's 4x400m. In mixed 4x400, 30 teams are in the fray.
Schedule of World Relays 2024
05th May 2024 (First qualification for Final and Olympics)
4x400m Mixed: 04:35 AM IST, 4x400m Women's: 06:35 AM IST, 4x400m Men's: 07:19 AM IST
06th May 2024 (Final and Second Olympic qualification)
Olympic qualification: 4x400m Men's: 05:35 AM IST, 4x400m Women's: 06:00 AM IST, 4x400m Mixed: 06:34 AM IST
Final: 4x400m Mixed: 07:10 AM IST, 4x400m Women's: 07:40 AM IST, 4x400m Men's: 07:50 AM IST
Indian Teams for World Relays 2024
Men's 4x400m: Amoj Jacob, Avinash Krishna Kumar, Rajiv Arokia, Rajesh Ramesh, Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Yashas B.
Women's 4x400m: Jyothika Sri Dandi, MR Poovamma, Aishwarya Kailash Mishra, Prachi, Vithya Ramraj, Rupal, Subha Venkatesan.
4x400 Mixed: Amoj Jacob (M), Rajesh Ramesh (M), Yashas (M), Jyothika Sri Dandi (W), Vithya Ramraj (W), Rupal (W).
