India’s Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh celebrate after finishing second in heat 1. (AP/File)
Over 1600 athletes, including World and Olympic champions Noah Lyles, Femke Bol, Steven Gardiner, Marcell Jacobs, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, will compete at the World Relays in the picturesque capital city of Nassau in the Bahamas.
The format
The top 14 teams at the event will earn a ticket for the Paris Games. On Day One, the top two teams from each heat will advance to the finals while securing a berth for the Games. Those who fail to advance will faceoff in another repechage round race where the top two teams will be handed tickets to Paris. 14 teams from Day One and two teams from Day 2 will make the cut for the Paris Olympics
Top teams
Men’s: There is no lack of star power in a two-day event, making it very tough to pick favourites. The 2023 Budapest Worlds gold-winning (4x100m) US team would be one team to watch out for. Noha Lyles, who has a stunning wind assisted 9.96 in Bermuda, will team up season leader Courtney Lindsey. Not to forget Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek
Women’s: The Jamaicans have a solid team with Tokyo 4x100m champions Remona Burchell and Natasha Morrison in the mix. The Americans are as potent with Budapest champions Gabby Thomas and Tamari Davis forming the core.
15-member India team
India has fielded a 15-member team, that has a mix of seasoned sprinters and youngsters to take part in the 4x400m events. There will be 32 teams in the men’s, 27 in women’s and 30 in the mixed relay categories – the events where India will be taking part.
Previous show
The last time India fielded a team for the World Relays was back in 2019 where they couldn’t progress beyond the heats in the three 4x400m categories they took part in. The women’s quartet recorded 3:31.93s to finish fourth in their heats while the men’s team managed 3:06.05s to finish sixth.
India’s rise
The men’s quartet have been high on confidence since their consecutive sub-3-minute runs at the Budapest World Championships. Before that, no Indian team had ever recorded a sub-3 minute 4x400m race. They continued their good run of form with a gold at Hangzhou Asian Games last year where they won silver in the mixed relay.
Enough for Paris?
Even though India has done well at the Asian circuit it will be an uphill task to take on the best in the world at Bahamas. The men’s quartet ran a 3:05.71 in Chandigarh in March WHICH puts them 42nd (including universities) in the season list, while the women are 23rd on the list clocking 3:28.64s. The Indians will have to up their game to expect a decent result. A member of the men’s squad said they are targeting a top-3 finish.
Teams:
Men’s 4x400m: Amoj Jacob, Avinash Krishna Kumar, Rajiv Arokia, Rajesh Ramesh, Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammad Ajmal, Muhammad Anas, Yashas
Women’s 4x400m: Jyothika Sri Dandi, MR Poovamma, Aishwarya Mishra, Prachi, Vithya Ramraj, Rupal, Subha Venkatesan
Mixed 4x400m: Jyothika Sri Dandi, Vithya Ramraj, Rupal, Amoj Jacob, Rajesh Ramesh, Yashas
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