India’s Sandramol Sabu narrowly missed out on a place in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U23 Athletics Championships 2026, following the conclusion of the qualifying heats in Ordos, China.
Competing in Heat 1, Sandramol clocked 55.00s to finish sixth, falling short of the qualification criteria for the championship final. Despite a determined effort, her time was not enough to secure one of the available qualification spots in a highly competitive field.
The qualification format saw the top three finishers from each heat (Q) automatically advance to the final, with the next two fastest athletes (q) across both heats completing the eight-athlete lineup. Sandramol was unable to finish within the automatic qualification positions or secure one of the two fastest non-automatic qualifying spots, bringing India’s campaign in the women’s 400m to an end.
The fastest performance of the qualifying round came from Naomi Johnson of the Philippines, who impressed with a time of 52.10s across the two heats. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Jithma Shenari Gamage claimed victory in Heat 2, clocking 53.94s to comfortably progress to the final.
Although Sandramol will not feature in the medal race, competing at the Asian U23 Championships provided another valuable opportunity to test herself against some of the continent’s leading young quarter-milers. The championships continue to serve as an important stepping stone for athletes aiming to transition successfully to the senior international level.
India will now turn its attention to the remaining track and field events, where several athletes remain in contention for medals. While the women’s 400m campaign concluded in the heats, the Indian contingent will be looking to build on its encouraging performances elsewhere at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships as the competition progresses in Ordos.