The quartet of Rahul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS clocked 41.35 seconds, a national record in the heat 2 at Gaborone’s National Stadium on Sunday

The Indian team improved the national mixed 4x100m relay record at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone on Sunday. The quartet of Rahul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS clocked 41.35 seconds, a national record in the heat 2 at Gaborone’s National Stadium on Sunday. The previous best of 42.30 seconds was set earlier in March in Chandigarh.

The Indian team finished sixth in their heat (mixed 4x100m relay) on Sunday. It was the second qualification round for the 2027 World Athletics Championships. The top two teams in each of the two heats qualified for Worlds.

Australia (40.78 seconds) and Switzerland (41.02 seconds) were the top two teams in heat 2 and qualified for 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. Italy (40.69 seconds) and Portugal (40.76 seconds) were the top two teams from heat 1, to win tickets to Worlds 2027.

The mixed 4x400m relay team finished fifth in heat 1. The quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur clocked 3:19.40 seconds.

The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team had an impressive run on Saturday. On Sunday the national team members weren’t able to give their best as Amoj Jacob, running the second leg, suffered cramps at the third bend. He dropped out.

The men’s 4x100m and women’s 4x100m relay teams also missed their chance in the second qualification round for Worlds on Sunday.

EOM