The Indian mixed 4x400m relay team is facing the possibility of missing out on the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary by a narrow margin. During the Sri Lankan National Championships in Colombo on Sunday, the team failed to improve upon their best timing of the season. As of now, they are ranked 17th in the world, with only the top 16 teams qualifying for the championships that will take place on August 17.
The deadline for qualification ends on Sunday midnight. After that, World Athletics will extend invitations to the national bodies whose athletes have made the cut. If any member country decides to withdraw any of their qualified athletes or relay teams, the final list of qualified athletes will be updated on August 2.
Despite winning the race at the Sri Lankan National Championships, the Indian mixed 4x400m relay team, consisting of Amoj Jacob, Aishwarya Mishra, Muhammed Anas, and Himanshi Malik, could not improve upon their season’s best timing of 3 minutes and 14.70 seconds. Their timing of 3:17.33 kept them at 17th place in the rankings.
While the women’s 4x400m relay team is also not in contention for World Championships qualification, there is a silver lining for the men’s 4x400m relay team. They are currently placed 14th out of the 16 teams that will qualify.
Other prominent Indian athletes set to compete in the World Championships include Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, and 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable. Chopra qualified as the reigning Diamond League champion, while Sreeshankar and Sable met the entry standard. Several other Indian athletes have also qualified in their respective events through either the entry standard or world ranking quota.
In conclusion, the Indian mixed 4x400m relay team is on the brink of missing out on the World Athletics Championships. With their current ranking at 17th place, they are hoping for a withdrawal from one of the top 16 teams to secure their participation in the championships. As the qualifying period comes to an end, Indian athletes from various disciplines are gearing up to represent their country in Budapest.
