"The Indian quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal, and Amoj Jacob were aiming to secure a Paris qualification with a top-two finish in heat number four. However, their hopes were dashed in utter heartbreak when Ramesh had to leave the race midway while clutching his left leg due to cramps."

Nassau, Bahamas: The Indian men’s 4x400m relay team faced disappointment at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau on Sunday during the first round of Paris Olympics qualifications, as second leg runner Rajesh Ramesh withdrew due to cramps, causing the team to not finish its heat race.

The Indian quartet comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal, and Amoj Jacob had aimed to secure a Paris qualification with a top-two finish in heat number four. However, their hopes were dashed when Ramesh had to abandon the race midway while clutching his left leg. Anas had already completed the first leg.

“The men’s 4x400m relay team had a good start. Muhammad Anas clocked 45.93 seconds in the first leg, but the second runner — Rajesh Ramesh — suffered cramps in his leg muscles at the first bend,” said the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in a statement.

Ramesh had competed in the mixed 4x400m race just three hours before the men’s event.

India will have another opportunity on Monday during the second round of Olympics qualifications, where teams that finished outside the top two in their respective heats on Sunday will aim for another chance at the Paris Games. The teams are expected to be divided into three heats, and the top two from each heat will secure a Paris qualification.

The same quartet had set an Asian record of 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds at the 2023 Budapest World Championships. India had failed to advance past the heat round in the Tokyo Olympics.

India also fell short of the Paris Olympics qualification in the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays on the first day of qualifications. Both Indian teams in the mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m events will have to await Monday’s second round of Olympics qualifications.

In the mixed 4x400m event, the Indian quartet of Rajesh Ramesh, Rupal Chaudhary, Avinash Krishna Kumar, and Jyothika Sri Dandi finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 3 minutes and 20.36 seconds.

Later, the Indian quartet of Vithya Ramraj, M R Poovamma, Jyothika Sri Dandi, and Subha Venkatesan finished fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 29.74 seconds.

The top two teams in each of the four heat races qualify for the Paris Olympics, scheduled to be held from July 16 to August 11. The remaining teams in all the heats will compete again on Monday in another qualification round for six additional Paris Olympics spots.

The format remains consistent across all five relay races — men’s and women’s 4x100m, men’s and women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m — being held at the event.