India Sets National Record in Mixed 4x400 Relay at Asian Championships

India's mixed 4x400 relay team made history at the inaugural Asian Relay Championships, setting a new national record of 3 minutes 14.12 seconds to claim the gold medal. The quartet of Muhammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Amoj Jacob, and Subha Venkatesan dominated the race, leading in all four legs. Sri Lanka and Vietnam finished second and third, respectively.

While the victory was a significant achievement, the team narrowly missed their target of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Only sixteen teams will compete in the mixed 4x400m relay event in Paris, and India currently sits in 21st place in the Road to Paris list of World Athletics.

To qualify, India needed to finish in the top 16 by June 30th. Fourteen teams have already secured their spots through the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, leaving only two spots available based on best timings. Czech Republic and Italy currently occupy the 15th and 16th positions, with India trailing behind.

Despite the setback, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) remains optimistic. They may consider sending the mixed 4x400m relay team to international competitions before the June 30th deadline to improve their ranking.

India will also compete in the men's and women's 4x400m relay races on Day 2 of the Asian Relay Championships. In the Bahamas, the Indian mixed 4x400m relay team failed to make the Paris cut in the heat race of first-round qualifiers. However, both the men's and women's 4x400m relay teams later qualified for Paris during the second-round qualification heat race.

Tags: #Athletics, #AsianRelay, #Mixed4x400Relay, #NationalRecord, #ParisOlympicsQualification