Not even Usain Bolt could overcome a big American lead as the US men sprinted to a convincing victory over Jamaica in the 4x100 metres relay at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau on Saturday.
Hima dropped out midway through her 400m heats on April 21 at the Asian Championships due to lower back spasm and she was later ruled out of the women's 4x400m relay and mixed 4x400m relay races.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who is set to retire after the World Championships in London next year, has been shortlisted for the 2016 IAAF World Athletes of the Year award.
The Indian 4x400m women's relay team, led by Jauna Murmu, Ashwini Akkunji, Anilda Thomas and MR Poovamma, clocked 3.31.39sec to win the gold medal at the PTS Athletics Meeting in Samorin, Slovakia. Only 16 countries are eligible to compete in the relay events of track and field at the Rio Olympics, and as a result of their performance in Slovakia last night, India has improved its 4x400m women quartet's world ranking to 15th position which is a step towards that goal. As per the IAAF regulations, the 2016 OG qualification standards has to be attained between the period, January 1, 2016 to July 11, 2016. The Samorin performance is the Indian relay quartet's second fastest timing and improves its average from two-fastest races to 3:30.24sec.
The Indian women 4x400m relay quartet of Jauna Murmu, Ashwini Akkunji, Anilda Thomas and M R Poovamma enhanced its Rio Olympic Games qualification chances by winning a gold medal at the PTS athletics Grand Prix with an impressive timing of 3:31.39.
India was aiming for an Olympic qualification as the eight finalists get an automatic berth for next year's Tokyo Games.
The Indian 4x100m women's relay team broke the 18-year-old National record to finish in 4th position at the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing on Wednesday. The 4x100m women relay team comprising Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, HM Jyoti and Merlin Joseph clocked 44.03s to finish the race, breaking the 18-year-old record of 44.43s created by the quartet of Saraswati Dey, Rachita Mistry, EB Shyla and PT Usha on July 22, 1998 in Fukuoka, Japan.
Jamaica won the showcase 4x200 metres relay without Usain Bolt as their American rivals dropped the baton at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday.
World Athletics Championships to be held in Doha from September 27.
Double amputee Oscar Pistorius must run the first leg for South Africa if he is to take part in the 4x400m relay at the world championships, athletics governing body said on Friday.
Usain Bolt won his third gold medal of the 14th IAAF World Championships on Sunday when he led Jamaica to the gold in the 4 x100 metres relay.
Russia claimed the IAAF's decision to continue its ban of Russian athletics on Friday was unfair and threatened legal action, while the rest of the world welcomed the move and urged the IOC not to go against it.
World Athletics added that her efforts in advancing the sport in India as well as inspiring more women to follow in her footsteps make her "more than a worthy recipient" of this year's award.
'We are delighted that you have been nominated by your Area Association as a recipient of the IAAF Veteran Pin for your long and meritorious service to the cause of World Athletics'
Laggards at the world stage, the 27-member Indian team was not expected to win any medal but it performed better than expected in this World Championships with three finalists.
A look at some memorable moments from the World Athletics Championships.
The Athletics Federation of India is trying to book an alternate flight available to any European city en route to Silesia in Poland
Swiss food giant Nestle will end its partnership with the International Association of Athletics Federations because of scandal surrounding the sport.
The World Athletics Championships have been moved back 11 months to July 2022 to avoid clashing with the Tokyo Olympics, which have themselves been delayed by the coronavirus outbreak, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday. World Athletics confirmed in a statement that the event, which is usually held every two years, would now take place from July 15-24 in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
Double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be able to run any part of the Olympic 4x400-meter relay and will not be held back by concerns his carbon fiber blades would endanger others in the race, the IAAF said.
Bolt getting jiggy, Bell being castled and some other exciting action from last week encapsulated by Rediff.com!
It will be the end of an era for athletics on Saturday when Usain Bolt races for the last time in the men's 4x100 metres relay at the World Championships.
Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Ethiopian distance runner Almaz Ayana were crowned as the IAAF's athletes of the year on Friday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) dented any slim hopes that Russian athletes might have had of competing at the Rio Games in August by backing the IAAF's decision to uphold its ban on the country for systematic doping.
The 24-year-old Hima was last year provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabout failures in a span of 12 months. She was, however, cleared by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) following a hearing in March.
S Dhanalakshmi, who had beaten Dutee in the final of women's 100m sprint in the Federation Cup last month, was also named in the team,
There was plenty of other Track & Field action that demanded our attention and we've given them their due. So scroll down to view some of the best images that went into making this World Championships a memorable one...
World athletics' governing body decided on Friday to maintain its doping ban on all Russian athletes, Sky News reported, quoting unnamed sources, leaving the country's hopes of competing in the Rio Olympics dependent on Olympic chiefs giving special dispensation at a meeting next week. The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was meeting in Vienna to decide whether to lift the ban after hearing from a task force that significant doping problems still existed in Russia. The suspension was first imposed in November and extended in March. A spokeswoman for Russia's athletics federation said she could not confirm the reports that the ban had been upheld.
Britain's Mo Farah stormed to victory in the 5,000 metres on Saturday to secure an unprecedented third successive distance double at major global championships.
Usain Bolt is determined to concrete his legacy by capping eight years of sprint dominance by defending his 100, 200 and 4x100 metres relay titles in Rio in what he has said will be his final Olympics.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
World junior champion Hima Das has been ruled out of the upcoming World Championships due to a nagging back problem.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Jamaican Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt cruised to victory in his first individual race of the season, clocking 46.37 seconds over 400 metres at the GC Foster Classic in Kingston on Saturday.
Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt received treatment for "slight discomfort" in his hamstring following his 100 metres victory in Saturday's Cayman Invitational, his coach Glen Mills said on Monday.
The winners of various events at the Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Ranchi from June 1 to 4 will automatically qualify for the World Championships in London in August, the world body IAAF has said.
Usain Bolt completed another 100-200 double at the IAAF World Championships when he bested rival Justin Gatlin to the 200 metres title at the Bird's Nest.
Usain Bolt was beaten into bronze medal position by Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman who won gold and silver respectively in the World Championships 100 metres final.
Gatlin bowed to Bolt before the pair hugged it out.
National record holder Khushbir Kaur finished a disappointing 37th while compatriot Sapna was disqualified from the women's 20km race walk event on the seventh day of the World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
