India's Priyanka Goswami-Akshdeep Singh grab Paris 2024 quota in mixed relay event

The Indian pair clocked 3:05:03s to finish 18th at the World Race Walking Team Championships.

India’s Priyanka Goswami and Akshdeep Singh earned a 2024 Paris Olympics quota place in the inaugural Mixed Marathon Race Walking Relay event at the World Race Walking Team Championships on Sunday.

The pair clocked 3:05:03s over the grueling 42.195 km relay to finish 18th, well inside the top 22 positions that were awarded Paris quotas in the discipline making its Olympic debut later this year.

While Goswami and Singh booked the quota, their compatriots Paramjeet Singh Bisht and Munita Prajapati missed the Paris quota after finishing 35th with a timing of 3:09:58.

The mixed relay, featuring alternating legs by one male and female athlete, proved an excellent test for the Paris Games. However, India’s performance in the standard 20km race walk highlighted the difficult team selection decisions looming for the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

A total of seven Indian men have achieved the Olympic entry standard in the 20km event, but only three can be chosen for the Paris squad by the June deadline stipulated by World Athletics. Achieving the qualifying time is just one part of the equation, with picking the trio to represent India an even tougher task based on Sunday’s results.

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In the women’s 20km race walk, Pooja Kumawat led the Indian contingent by finishing 42nd in 1:40:27. Manju Rani (43rd), Mokavi Muthurathinam (44th), Ramandeep Kaur (49th) and Payal (50th) also finished in the top 50.

For the Indian men, there was a promising sixth-place team finish behind Spain, Japan, Italy, Mexico, and China. The trio of Vikash Singh, Paramdeep Singh, and Gurpreet Singh posted solid individual performances.

The new Mixed Marathon Race Walking Relay provided a glimpse into the future, with the four-leg event featuring a 12.195 km opening leg by the man, followed by a 10 km stint by the woman. The final 20 km is then divided equally, with the woman taking the last 10 km to the finish.

While Goswami and Singh can celebrate their Paris quota for now, the performance data from Antalya will likely be pored over carefully by coaches and athletes alike as preparations ramp up for the 2024 Olympic Games in the French capital.

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