India narrowly missed a podium finish in the women’s 4x100m relay at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, finishing fourth in a Season’s Best (SB) time of 43.57 seconds.
The Indian quartet of Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha Shanuvali Sathyanarayana, Sudeshna Hanmant Shivankar and Tamanna delivered a strong performance in the final.
They improved on their heat-winning time of 43.65 seconds. However, India finished just 0.05 seconds behind Japan, which secured the bronze medal.
China won gold in 42.96 seconds, while Thailand claimed silver in 43.51 seconds. Japan finished third in 43.52 seconds, followed by India in 43.57 seconds.
India Misses Bronze by Just 0.05 Seconds
The final was decided by extremely narrow margins.
Just 0.09 seconds separated the teams finishing second through fifth, with every hundredth of a second proving crucial over the 400-metre race.
India remained in contention for a medal before crossing the finish line in fourth place.
Women’s 4x100m Relay Final Results
|
Position |
Country |
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Gold |
China |
42.96s |
|
Silver |
Thailand |
43.51s |
|
Bronze |
Japan |
43.52s |
|
4th |
India |
43.57s (SB) |
Abinaya Rajarajan Leads India’s Sprint Relay Campaign
Abinaya Rajarajan was part of the Indian quartet that made a strong impression in the qualifying round.
India won its heat in 43.65 seconds, securing a place in the final.
Rajarajan has been an important part of India’s sprint relay setup. She had also featured in the mixed 4x100m relay earlier in the competition.
Her experience across both relay formats made her an important member of the Indian team.
Sneha Shanuvali Sathyanarayana Contributes to India’s Season’s Best
Sneha Shanuvali Sathyanarayana was another key member of India’s sprint group in Nagoya.
She was part of the quartet that produced the team’s Season’s Best in the final.
Relay success depends on individual speed and the execution of baton exchanges. India remained competitive throughout the race and stayed within striking distance of the medal positions.
Sudeshna Hanmant Shivankar Adds Experience
Sudeshna Hanmant Shivankar brought further experience to the Indian lineup.
She has been part of India’s sprint relay programme and featured in the quartet that improved its time from the heats.
With the final decided by such narrow margins, every phase of the race was crucial, from the starts and baton exchanges to the final straight.
Tamanna Completes the Indian Quartet
Tamanna completed the Indian quartet and was responsible for the final leg of the relay.
India crossed the finish line in 43.57 seconds, improving on its heat-winning performance.
The improvement showed that the team raised its performance in the final, although the time was not enough to secure a medal.
India Finishes Just Outside the Podium
India’s fourth-place finish came just five hundredths of a second behind Japan.
China’s winning time of 42.96 seconds was comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. However, the battle for the remaining medals was extremely close.
The Indian quartet improved from 43.65 seconds in the heats to 43.57 seconds in the final, producing its fastest performance of the season.
Although the medal remained out of reach, the team finished its Asian Games campaign with a Season’s Best and a competitive performance.
Abinaya Rajarajan, Sneha Shanuvali Sathyanarayana, Sudeshna Hanmant Shivankar and Tamanna finished fourth in 43.57 seconds, just 0.05 seconds away from the podium.