Tokyo spot sealed in mixed relay
DOHA: The Indian mixed 4x400m relay team qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after reaching the finals in the World Championships here on Saturday.
The mixed 4x400m relay team of Muhammed Anas, V K Vismaya, Jisna Mathew and Tom Nirmal Noah clocked 3 minutes 16.14 seconds to finish third in heat number 2 and book a berth in next year’s Olympics.
The top 3 in each of the two heats and the next two fastest qualify for the final of the World Championships to be held on Sunday. India entered the final as one of the automatic qualifiers. The finalists (top 8) in relay races in the World Championships are automatic qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics.
Anas ran the first leg and after that Vismaya led the whole second leg, giving India the lead midway into the race. Third leg runner Jisna was overtaken by Japan Pol a nd. The bat o n exchange between Jisna and final leg runner Noah was not that smooth and there was loss of split seconds. But in the end, Noah was able to finish third to take India to the World Championships final and Tokyo Olympics.
India finished seventh overall with United States on top of timings chart with 3:12.42. It will be tough for India to win a medal in the final on Sunday but an important objective of the contingent in this championships has been realised. There was an air of relief in the Indian camp.
“Yes, the team has reached the final in mixed 4x400m relay and by virtue of that it has also qualified for the Olympics,” Athletics Federation of India’s Planning Commission Chairman Lalit Bhanot told PTI. The mixed 4x400m relay, which was making its debut at the showpiece event, has been one event on which the Indian team has put a lot of hope. It suffered a jolt after world junior champion quarter-miler Hima Das was ruled out due to her back injury despite being named initially in the team. National record holder Anas was not fielded in the individual event despite breaching the qualifying mark so that he can focus in the relay.
Meanwhile, sprinter Dutee Chand’s World Championships campaign ended in disappointment as she crashed out in the first round while 400m hurdler M P Jabir made an exit in the semifinals. Dutee clocked 11.48 seconds -- one of her worst timings this season -- in the women’s 100m heats to finish seventh in her heat and 37th overall among 47 competitors.
Running in the outermost lane, Jabir finished fifth in men’s 400m hurdles semifinals heat number 3 and 16th overall among 24 runners with a time of 49.71 seconds. The top two finishers in each of the three semifinal heats and the next two fastest runners qualify for the finals. Reigning world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway led the runners into the finals in 48.28 seconds.