Contending under- strength brigades after having qualified for the Paris Olympics, both the men’s and women’s 4x400m groups finished second at the initial Asian Relay Crowns then on Tuesday.
The women’s platoon of Vithya Ramraj, M R Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Rupal Chaudhary clocked 3 twinkles33.55 seconds to finish behind Vietnam(330.81) in the women’s 4x400m relay final, which was conducted amid showers at the Suphachalasai National Stadium. Japan won the citation order with335.45. Vietnam runners were ahead each through the race.
Vithya and Prachi weren’t part of the Indian quintet that clocked 3 twinkles and29.35 seconds to bespeak a Paris Olympics share during the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas before this month. Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan had teamed up with Poovamma and Rupal on that occasion.
The men’s quintet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Santosh Kumar, Mijo Chacko Kurian and Arokia Rajiv also failed to stand on top of the tribune as they clocked305.76 to finish second behind Sri Lanka(304.48). Vietnam was third with307.37. The Sri Lankan platoon was ahead after the first leg but Santosh put India in the lead in the alternate. Chacko kept India in the lead after the third leg but Sri Lanka’s anchor runner Hewa Kalinga Kumarge caught Arokia at the final stretch.
Santosh and Chacko weren’t part of the Indian quintet that clocked 3 twinkles and3.23 seconds to bespeak a Paris Olympics share during the World Athletics Relays in Bahamas before this month. Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob had teamed up with Muhammed Anas Yahiya and Arokia Rajiv on that occasion.
Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob had teamed up with Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan for the mixed 4x400m race on Monday as India was aiming to enter the Paris Olympics type in that event. The quintet was the first choice members of the mixed 4x400m platoon and they were therefore not contended on Tuesday in the men’s and women’s relays.
On Monday, the Indian mixed 4×400 relay platoon set a public record while winning the gold order but missed the target of entering the Paris Olympics qualification type. The quintet of Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob and Subha Venkatesan clocked 3 twinkles14.12 seconds to win the race. The before public record of314.34 was clocked by the Indian platoon while winning tableware order at the Hangzhou Asian Games last time.
Monday’s timing would put the Indian mixed 4x400m platoon at the 21st place– from earlier 23rd– in the Road to Paris list of World Athletics while the end was to be either in the 15th or 16th spot. India, therefore, is in a delicate position to make the Olympics cut as only sixteen brigades will contend in the mixed 4x400m relay event in Paris. India’s target on Monday was to at least better313.56 and sit at the 16th spot, but the country failed to do so.
