The Indians will have another chance on Sunday to make the cut for the Tokyo World Championships.
The Indian men's and mixed 4x400m teams missed out on direct qualification for the Tokyo World Championships later this year, finishing fifth in their respective heats on the first day of the World Athletics Relays IN Guangzhou, China, on Saturday.
Both teams, however, will get another chance to make the cut for the World Championships (September 13-21) on the concluding day of the meet on Sunday.
The Indian mixed 4x400m quartet of Jay Kumar, Sneha Kolleri, Dharamveer Choudhary and Rupal Chaudhary clocked 3 minutes, 16.85 seconds to finish fifth in the seven-team heat number 3 on a rain-affected track.
Though it was the season's best for an Indian mixed 4x400m team, it was well below the national record of 3:12.87.
The top two finishers in each of the three heats, plus the two teams which have fastest times from among the remaining qualify for the World Championships and World Athletics Relays final to be held on Sunday.
Though they failed to qualify for the final, the Indians will have another chance on Sunday to make the cut for the Tokyo World Championships. The Indian quartet will be up against Botswana, Italy, Germany, Uganda and Canada in heat number 2.
The top three finishing teams in each of the two heats on Sunday qualify for the World Championships.
India fielded a fresh team in the men's 4x400m relay, having left out the athletes that competed in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Olympics.
The quartet of Jay Kumar, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan, Thekkinalil Saji Manu, Thennarasu Kayalvizhi Vishal and Mohit Kumar clocked 3:03.92 to finish fifth among six teams in heat number 4.
The Indians ran the season's best time but well below the national record of 2:59.05.
They also will have another chance to make the cut for the Tokyo World Championships on Sunday.
Women's 4x100m and 4x400m relay, men's 4x100m and 4x400m relay, as well as mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relay, are being competed in the World Relays. The mixed 4x100m relay is being contested on the global stage for the first time in Guangzhou.
One team per national federation can compete in each event and a maximum of eight athletes can be entered for each event.
India have fielded teams in men's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays.
The top 14 teams in each of the men's and women's 4x100m and 4x400m, plus the mixed 4x400m relay, will secure their place at the World Championships in Tokyo.
The remaining two places in each event will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period (February 25, 2024 to August 24, 2025).
The top eight teams competing in the final in each of the six events will be awarded prize money, ranging from US$2000 to US$40,000.
Italy, Canada and Jamaica sparkle in mixed 4x100m relay's global debut
Italy, Canada and Jamaica reached the mixed 4x100 metres relay final in the event's global debut while heavyweights the United States experienced mixed fortunes on a dramatic opening day at the World Athletics Relays on Saturday.
Victory in 41.15 seconds in the first heat amid challenging conditions in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou following a spell of rain earned the Italians a place in the medal round to be held on Sunday.
They will be joined by France, who finished second in 41.28 seconds, while pre-race favourites the US saw their hopes of advancing fade when Jada Mowatt and Kendal Williams botched their baton exchange during the second changeover.
Jamaica's mixed sprint quartet clocked 41.04 seconds to edge out Britain by a hundredth of a second in the next heat and they could deploy three-times Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and former world champion Yohan Blake in the final.
Canada crossed the line in a scorching 40.90 seconds to second-placed Australia's 41.15 seconds in the third heat to send out a warning to their rivals.
The Americans made up for their error by easing into the mixed 4x400m final, thereby also sealing their spot in the event at the world championships tin Tokyo in September.
The world record-holders will be joined in the Guangzhou final by Belgium, Australia, Ireland, Britain and South Africa as well as the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers Kenya and Poland.
Spain went quickest in the women's 4x100m relay ahead of Jamaica and Belgium, clocking 42.18 seconds, while South Africa dominated the men's event with Akani Simbine anchoring his team to a joint world leading time of 37.84 seconds.
Japan, who were assured of a place in the worlds as hosts, matched South Africa's effort in their heat to finish in front of Olympic champions Canada.
The US women's team shrugged off the increasingly damp conditions to top the timings in the 4x400m race while the men's quartet were third in their heat and will have to wait until Sunday to book their spot in the worlds.
South Africa's men were quickest again in that event with a world leading time of exactly three minutes.
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