India Falls Short at World Athletics Relays 2026 Despite National Record in Mixed 4x100m

India’s campaign at the World Athletics Relays 2026 ended without a single qualification for the 2027 World Championships, as all five teams fell short of the required mark despite a record-breaking effort offering a brief bright spot.

Competing in Botswana, Indian relay teams needed top-two finishes in their respective heats on Sunday to secure direct qualification for the championships in Beijing. None managed to do so, extending a disappointing run that had begun on the opening day.

The standout moment came in the mixed 4x100m relay, where the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha Sathyanarayana Shanuvalli clocked 41.35 seconds to set a new national record. The team finished sixth in their heat, but comfortably improved on the previous mark of 42.30 seconds set earlier this year.

In the mixed 4x400m event, a second-string Indian team comprising Theerthesh P. Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur finished fifth in their heat with a time of 3:19.40. Key runners Amoj Jacob and Ansa Babu, who had featured earlier, were rested for the race.

Jacob returned for the men’s 4x400m relay alongside Dharmveer Choudhary, Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi, but the race ended prematurely as the team failed to finish after he suffered cramps mid-run.

India’s challenges continued in the sprint relays. The women’s 4x100m team, featuring Tamanna, Nithya Gandhe, Sudeshna Shivankar and Sneha Sathyanarayana Shanuvalli, finished last in their heat with a time of 53.90 seconds. The men’s 4x100m team did not complete their race either, disqualified after a baton drop during a changeover.

The results followed a similar pattern from Saturday, when four Indian teams registered season-best timings but still finished outside qualification positions.

While the national record in the mixed 4x100m relay provided a measure of progress, the overall outcome highlighted the gap India must bridge at the elite level, with consistency and execution continuing to prove decisive on the global stage.

(With inputs from ANI)