India’s 4×400m mixed relay team missed out on a place in the final at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2026 after finishing fourth in its heat with a time of 3:22.85.

One pattern stood out during India’s race.
The quartet of Piyush Raj, Tahura Khatun, Syed Sabeer, and Thiya Arumugam appeared to go out very aggressively over the first half of their respective laps before fading significantly in the closing stages.

The World Athletics speed graphic highlighted this clearly. Around the 170–180m mark, Tahura’s speed peaked at approximately 7.9 m/s, while several athletes from other teams appeared to distribute their effort more evenly. In the closing metres, her speed dropped to around 6.6 m/s, one of the biggest declines in the field.

Managing pace over a one-lap relay is crucial, and a more controlled opening could help the Indian quartet finish stronger in future races.
With the men’s and women’s 4×400m relays still to come, India will hope to learn from this performance and deliver improved race execution.

India booked its place in the 4×400m mixed relay final at the Commonwealth Games 2026, advancing as one of the fastest losers after clocking 3:20.98 in the heats.

The Indian quartet finished fourth in their heat, but their time was good enough to secure qualification as the seventh-fastest team overall, keeping their medal hopes alive heading into the final.

Strong Start from Vishal TK

India got off to an encouraging start through Vishal TK, who delivered a composed opening leg.

The national record holder produced a 46.10-second split, handing India an early advantage and placing the team in a strong position after the first exchange.

Momentum Slips Away

The race began to unravel on the second leg as Ansa Babu went out aggressively over the opening 200 metres but struggled to maintain the pace over the final stretch.

She clocked a 53.90-second split, allowing rival teams to move ahead and costing India the advantage built by Vishal.

The final two legs, run by Rajesh Ramesh and Rashdeep Kaur, were unable to recover the lost ground.

Rajesh returned a 47.00-second split, while Rashdeep clocked 53.98 seconds, as India crossed the finish line in fourth place.

Through to the Final

Despite missing out on an automatic qualifying position, India’s 3:20.98 was sufficient to progress on time, earning the team the seventh-fastest qualifying spot for the final.

The performance, however, highlighted areas that will need improvement if India is to challenge the stronger relay nations for a podium finish. While the men’s legs were competitive, the team lost valuable ground during the middle stages of the race.

India also has Neeru Pathak available as the reserve athlete for the mixed relay squad, giving the team management an additional selection option ahead of the final.

With qualification secured, the focus now shifts to producing a cleaner, more balanced performance when the medals are decided.

India celebrated a landmark moment at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, as the Mixed 4x400m Relay team won the country’s first-ever gold medal at the competition with a thrilling victory over hosts China.

The Indian quartet of Astik Pradhan, Sandramol Sabu, Setu Mishra, and Shravani Sachin Sangle clocked 3:18.64 to finish atop the podium. China settled for silver in 3:18.74, while the Philippines claimed the bronze medal with 3:25.28.

Each member of the Indian team played a crucial role in the historic triumph, but it was anchor Shravani Sachin Sangle who produced the defining moment of the race. Displaying remarkable speed and composure, she overtook China’s Yingying Huang in the closing stages to secure a dramatic victory for India.

The gold medal marks India’s first title at the debut edition of the Asian U23 Athletics Championships and highlights the country’s growing strength in relay events. The memorable win adds another chapter to an impressive campaign for the young Indian contingent in Ordos.

By Sushant Singh

India’s mixed 4×100m relay team secured a bronze medal at the Asian Relays Championships 2026, finishing with a time of 41.47 seconds.

Pranav provided a solid start, while Tamanna and Animesh kept India in contention, with the team leading heading into the final exchange. However, a delayed baton handover between Animesh and anchor runner Sneha cost valuable time, allowing Thailand and China to move ahead in the closing stages.

Thailand claimed the gold medal in 41.14 seconds, followed by China with 41.29 seconds, while India completed the podium with a bronze-winning effort of 41.47 seconds.

India’s mixed 4x100m relay team created history by breaking the national record at the World Athletics Relays 2026 on Sunday.

The team of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur, and Sneha SS ran 41.35s, beating the old record of 42.30s. The previous mark was set earlier this year in Chandigarh by Lalu Prasad, Unnathi Aiyappa, Harita Bhadra, and Dondapati Jayaram.

However, despite setting a new national record, India could not qualify for the final or secure a place for the 2027 World Championships in Beijing.

The team finished sixth in their heat and 10th overall, missing out on qualification, as only the top two teams from each heat advanced.

In the mixed 4x400m relay, the Indian team of Theerthesh P. Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William, and Rashdeep Kaur finished fifth in their heat with a time of 3:19.40, placing 12th overall.

It turned out to be a tough day for India in other events as well.

In the men’s 4x400m relay, the team could not finish the race after Amoj Jacob (second leg) suffered an injury during his leg.

The women’s 4x100m team, consisting of Nithya Gandhe, Tamanna, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Sneh, finished last overall in the heats with a time of 53.90s.

Meanwhile, the men’s 4x100m team of Harsh Raut, Animesh Kujur, Ragul Kumar, and Gurindervir Singh was disqualified due to a failed baton exchange.

As per the latest Road to World Relays rankings, India’s 4x100m mixed relay team has dropped out of the qualification zone.

India had clocked 42.30s, breaking the national record at the Open Relays, initially placing them 19th in the standings.

However, six teams have since gone faster — Nigeria (41.44), Kenya (41.70), Poland (41.62), Ukraine (42.19), New Zealand (41.30), and USA (40.84). As a result, India has now been pushed to 25th, just outside the top 24 required for qualification.

Current status:

• Men’s 4x400m looks set to qualify

• Mixed 4x400m and Women’s 4x100m remain inside the qualification zone, currently ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively The final list is expected to be published tonight by World Athletics.

India’s 4x100m mixed relay team is facing a tense wait for World Relays qualification after slipping in the standings.

The team had initially secured a strong position, ranking 19th after clocking a national record time of 42.30 seconds at the Open Relays.

However, recent performances from other nations have changed the scenario. Nigeria, Kenya, Poland, and Ukraine have all recorded faster times, pushing India down to 23rd place — just inside the qualification cutoff of 24 teams.

With the qualification window still open until April 5, the situation remains uncertain. If two more teams post better timings, India risks dropping out of the top 24 and missing qualification for the World Relays in Gaborone.

The United States is also yet to register a qualifying time, which could further impact the final standings.

Sources indicate that India had targeted a sub-42 second run, but a baton exchange issue during the third leg cost valuable time in their record-setting race.

With qualification now hanging by a thread, all eyes are on upcoming races worldwide that could decide India’s fate.