"The one-month preparatory camp in Jamaica helped us" - Relay athlete D. Jyothika Sri credits camp for Olympics qualification

D. Jyothika Sri was over the moon after India qualified for the women’s 4 x 400m relay event in the Paris Olympics 2024. The women’s team could not make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, but has now made a strong comeback.

On Monday, May 6, Jyothika, Rupal Chaudhary, Subha Venkatesan, and MR Poovamma finished second at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas.

They clocked 3 minutes and 29.35 seconds, only behind Jamaica, who finished with a timing of 3 minutes and 28.54 seconds. After the triumphant run, Jyothika said that preparations in Jamaica and the hard yards put in by the athletes have paid dividends.

“We all knew it was so tough to qualify in any relay event at this level. We were really good in managing injuries, pain and the end result is certainly immensely satisfying,” Jyothika told Sportstar.

“Definitely, the one month preparatory camp in Jamaica helped us to adapt to the conditions slowly for the big event,” she added.

India participated in the women's 4 x 400m relay for the first time in the 1984 Olympics. In Paris, it will be their eighth participation in the history of the Olympics.

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"We have set new benchmarks" - Jyothika Sri

Although Jyothika is basking in the glory of a berth in the Olympics, the athlete is now looking forward to putting her best foot forward and bringing home a medal.

“Now, we have set new benchmarks. We are confident of putting on a fine show in Paris too. It is a great feeling, no doubt, to make it to the Paris Olympics. Any athlete’s dream for sure and coming now is something truly special,” Jyothika added.

While the women’s team made India proud, the men’s team also qualified for the Paris Olympics. The team, consisting of Amoj Jacob, Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Ajmal, and Muhammed Anas Yahiya also made their way through to the multi-nation event to be held from July 26 to August 11.