By India’s winning time of 3:29.69 in the women’s 4x400m relay did not surpass the national record.
The national record of 3:26.89 was set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
India still won gold at the Asian Games 2026 on September 29, beating Bahrain.
The team was Kiran Pahal, Poovamma Machettira, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj.
It is India’s first athletics gold of these Games.
India beat Bahrain, whose team included Olympic medallist Salwa Eid Naser, to the gold medal.
Bahrain took silver in 3:30.21.
The winning time did not surpass India’s national record of 3:26.89, set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
It is India’s first athletics gold of these Asian Games.
It is India’s sixth Asian Games women’s 4x400m relay title, and the first since the 2018 Jakarta Games.
The win came on Day 10 of the Asian Games, a day that also saw Neeru Dhanda win trap shooting gold and two boxers reach their finals.
India’s overall medal tally at the Games rose to 53 following Day 10’s results.
Day 10 also saw Gulveer Singh complete a hat-trick of medals in distance running events.
The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
India’s relay squads have traditionally been among the country’s stronger track and field medal contenders at multi-sport Games.
The women’s 4x400m relay requires each of four runners to cover one lap of the track before handing off a baton.
India’s athletics contingent at these Games has featured a mix of experienced internationals and emerging talent.
Bahrain has fielded several naturalised athletes with strong individual international records in recent major athletics events.
Track and field events make up a significant share of the total medals on offer at any Asian Games edition.
India’s athletics federation has focused on strengthening relay training and baton-changing technique in recent years.
4x400m relay race (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
