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I’ll summarize it in one sentence:
Host Nation India wins Gold Medal 4x400m women’s relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
That headline is enough to spark a few readers.
That’s why the 4×400 meter relay should be kept as the final event of the program (aside from the marathon, which is not technically a track event). See my rant on the 2011 Daegu World Championships Schedule
Congratulations to India with a Gold medal performance of 3:27.77. Their team consisted of Manjeet Kaur (52.8), Sini Jose (52.0), Ashwini Chidananda Akkunji (51.6), and Mandeep Kaur (51.1). (400m splits shown in brackets)
If you don’t get Goosebumps watching this video, I don’t know what will get you excited. The crowd goes absolutely nuts! I’ll bet most of them in the stands didn’t give them a chance after the Aussies, Brits, and Nigerians. The last time India’s women’s 4x400m relay made the finals at a major International meet was 7th place at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics using a combination of 400m, 400mH and 800m runners!
A great effort is shown by the 3rd leg Akkunji holding off the runner trying to pass.
An even greater effort is the anchor leg Kaur holding off the Nigerian. Not just any Nigerian, the 400m Hurdles Gold medal winner Muizat Ajoke Odumosu!
Look how the Indian team are exhausted after the race. They are too dazed and confused to do a victory lap with their flag. The women put it all on the track that night. That’s the way to run the 4x400m.
I’ve always said it’s not just 4 people running the relay, it’s the sum of all the parts that’s greater than the sum of the individual parts.
And of course, with the relays, anything goes.
Here is the video on YouTube:
Jimson Lee
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Without a doubt, the most exciting race to watch. I can’t imagine a better way to end a track meet.
@Dan – I love this race. India wasn’t even favoured to medal. Good thing the 4 women didn’t listen to the media!
@ Jimson – I’m sure every track nut has a story like this one – I got to anchor my high school 4×4 my junior year to win the District title (to qualify for the State Championships) when we were seeded 6th on a 6 lane track going into the meet. I have a priceless picture of me throwing my arms up crossing the finish line while a kid (from the 2nd place team) in the background is puking into a garbage can. We didn’t know we weren’t supposed to win. There is something magical about the 4×4. The ladies from India will always remember their race. Good for them.
Actually India ran rather well in Athens ’04. They took second in their heat and made the finals running 3:26 and followed up with a sixth place finish in the finals. I rooted for that team then as much as I did in this race.
It doesn’t matter how many races an athlete has run before the 4×4, when the gun goes off all fatigue disappears. There is something about having that baton in your hand, knowing there are three other people that are depending you, and for those that believe in prayer, there is a request in it somewhere that goes like this: Oh LORD please don’t let me get walked down….!! NOTHING LIKE THE 4…
There really is no better event to watch- especially during the championship meets.