India Set to Field Six Runners in Olympics Men's 4x400m Relay

World Athletics (WA) recently updated the criteria for naming relay squads for the Paris Olympics, causing some confusion. However, the national federation assured on Sunday that India can still include six runners in the men's 4x400m team.

According to sources, WA agreed to reduce the number of overall entries as the projected number of qualified athletes exceeded the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) maximum quota of 1810. Previously, countries could name five athletes with full accreditation and one alternate athlete.

Revised Criteria for Relay Teams

Under the revised criteria announced by WA on July 4, the reserve athlete will no longer receive full accreditation. Instead, this athlete will be considered an additional alternate who can act as a replacement if needed. Despite this change, the reserve athlete can still reside in the Games Village within the National Olympic Committee's existing bed allocation.

When asked about naming six athletes in a relay team without a runner in an individual event, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla said there is no issue. Sumariwalla is also a vice-president and executive board member of World Athletics.

Accommodation for Additional Athletes

An IOA source mentioned that additional athletes could be accommodated outside the Games Village if necessary. "The rules will be the same for all countries, whether it is a five-athlete or six-athlete rule," said the source. "But the IOA can always accommodate any additional athlete outside the Games Village in case he or she is to be used as a replacement later."

The AFI is set to make entries for its athletes through the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday. Another AFI official stated that the federation would follow all rules and do what is required to ensure compliance.

The changes come as WA aims to manage the number of participants effectively while adhering to IOC guidelines. This adjustment ensures that all countries follow a uniform set of rules regarding relay team compositions and athlete accommodations.

Despite initial confusion, these updates are expected to streamline processes and maintain fairness across participating nations. The AFI remains confident in its ability to navigate these changes successfully.