India’s men and women failed to qualify for the 4x400m final of the Rio Olympic Games with disappointing performances in their respective heats. While the women’s team finished 13th overall, the men’s team were disqualified after finishing seventh in their heat.
Qualification criteria: Top three teams from each heat qualify for the final followed by the next two fastest times from both heats.
Men’s 4x400m
The men’s first heat saw a scintillating contest with Jamaica, USA and Trinidad & Tobago all together on the same track. Four teams ran their Season’s Best in the first heat with Jamaica narrowly edging out USA to win with a time of 2:58.29.
Jamaica (Rusheen McDonald, Peter Matthews, Nathon Allen and Javon Francis) had to come from behind to win the heat and it was USA who were in the lead early in the race followed by Trinidad & Tobago. But a strong final leg from Jamaica saw the Caribbean side beat USA to the finish line in the final few metres as they clocked a time of 2:58.29.
USA settled for second with a time of 2:58.38 while Botswana finished third with Trinidad & Tobago disqualified.
India’s relay team (Kunhu Muhammed, Muhammed Anas, Ayyasamy Dharun and Arokia Rajiv) competed in the second heat and they did not fare too well. Great Britain had won the race and were celebrating before they were disqualified and it was Belgium who qualified in first place with a time of 2:59.25 followed by Bahamas and Cuba.
India had finished seventh but there was further disappointment after they were also disqualified. The disqualifications due to an exchange of batons outside the designated zone (10 metres either side of the finish line) allowed Brazil to qualify as the eighth fastest team, much to the delight of the crowd inside the Rio Olympic Stadium who realised only when the eight finalists were put up on the big screen.
| # | Country | Heat | Time (MM:SS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamaica | 1 | 2:58.29 |
| 2 | United States | 1 | 2:58.38 |
| 3 | Belgium | 2 | 2:59.25 |
| 4 | Botswana | 1 | 2:59.35 |
| 5 | Poland | 1 | 2:59.58 |
| 6 | Bahamas | 2 | 2:59.64 |
| 7 | Cuba | 2 | 3:00.16 |
| 8 | Brazil | 2 | 3:00.43 |
Women’s 4x400m
It was USA and Jamaica who dominated the women’s heats to qualify for the final in first and second place. And it was the Americans who set the pace in Heat 1.
The team comprising of Courtney Okolo, Taylor Ellis-Watson, Francena McCorory and Phyllis Francis clocked the best time as USA qualified for the final as the fastest team with a time of 3:21.42. They had the second slowest reaction time in the heat after Brazil but that did not hamper their chances of qualifying in first place.
Ukraine and Poland automatically qualified in second and third place from Heat 1. Ukraine finished with a time of 3:24.54 while Poland clocked 3:25.34.
India (Nirmala, Tintu Lukka, Poovamma and Anilda Thomas) competed in Heat 2 and had to contend with the likes of Jamaica, Great Britain and Canada – strong teams who did not put a foot wrong in the heats. The Indians started poorly in Lane 1 and never looked like catching up, eventually finishing seventh with a time of 3:29.53.
Jamaica took the lead in the first leg itself with Christine Day putting daylight between her and the rest of the teams. After the first exchange, there was no looking back. Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, Chrisann Gordon and Novlene Williams-Mills got the job done and the massive lead on the final stretch was only reduced by a couple of seconds after Jamaica slowed down.
Jamaica’s time of 3:22.38 was good enough for first place in the heat while Great Britain finished second and Canada third.
| # | Country | Heat | Time (MM:SS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 1 | 3:21.42 |
| 2 | Jamaica | 2 | 3:22.38 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 1 | 3:24.54 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 2 | 3:24.81 |
| 5 | Canada | 2 | 3:24.94 |
| 6 | Italy | 2 | 3:25.16 |
| 7 | Poland | 1 | 3:25.34 |
| 8 | Australia | 1 | 3:25.71 |
