Indian women's relay team in hunt for qualification for Rio Olympics
The team won gold in the 4x400 metres relay race at the PTS Athletics Meeting in Slovakia
The Indian women's relay team remained in the hunt for a spot in the upcoming Olympics at Rio Janeiro by putting up a strong performance at the PTS Athletics Meeting in Samorin, Slovakia on Sunday. The team clocked up a time of 3.31.39 sec and won gold.
The team comprised of MR Poovamma, Jauna Murmu, Ashwini Akkunji and Anilda Thomas. The top 16 teams in the world can qualify for the Olympics. While the top eight countries by ranking are given automatic entry, slots nine to sixteen are filled by taking into account the best two performances achieved by a national squad in international competitions held between January 1 2015 and July 11 2016.
India's performance in Slovakia means they are currently at the 15th spot but will have to ensure they hold onto their ranking to ensure they do not slip below the required mark. The country has a rich legacy in the sport, winning back-to-back golds in the Asian Games and also reaching the finals in the 2004 Olympics.