At the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, the Indian men's 4x400m relay team surpassed the Asian record as the team finished their heat in an impressive 2:59.05 seconds.
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At the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team surpassed the Asian record as the team finished their heat in an impressive 2:59.05 seconds. Competing alongside the strong team from the USA, the Indian runners came in second in their heat and secured a spot in the upcoming finals on August 27, 2023, Sunday. This will be the first time India will compete in the finals of this event.
The race began with Muhammed Anas Yahiya, who had India in sixth place after the first lap. However, an outstanding sprint by Amoj Jacob moved the team up to second. Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh not only held onto this advantageous position but took it a step further with a breathtaking run and broke the previous Asian record of 2:59.51 seconds, which was previously held by Japan.
What was surprising was Rajesh briefly overtook Justin Robinson from the USA which stunned audiences worldwide. The Americans finished just ahead of India, clocking in at 2:58:47 seconds at the World Athletics Championships 2023. India defeated Great Britain and Botswana on their way, who finished third and fourth, respectively, in their heat, both clocking times of 2:59:42 seconds.
Teams from Jamaica, France, and Italy also earned spots in the finals from the second heat, while the Netherlands got in as a wild card. The remarkable achievement grabbed headlines in the world considering it was earned a huge stage and given that the country had only secured two World Championships medals in the past – one in women’s long jump in 2003 and another in men’s javelin throw in 2022. With this record-breaking performance and several Indian athletes competing in the javelin throw finals, expectations are high in the final for India at the championships.
The final of the men’s 4X400m relay, which will feature India, is scheduled to take place on August 27, 2023, in Budapest, Hungary. The timing of the relay race is slated to be held at 1:07 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). Amoj, Jacob, Muhammed Anas, Muhammed Ajmal, Rajesh Ramesh, Arul Rajalingam and Mijo Chacko Kurian comprise the squad of India’s men’s relay 4 X 400m team.
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