Six athletes in Olympic-bound 4x400m relay team not an issue, confirms AFI

Recent changes in World Athletics' (WA) criteria for naming relay squads for the Paris Olympics have stirred some confusion.

However, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) announced on Sunday that there should not be a problem with including six runners in the men’s 4x400m relay team.

World Athletics has agreed to reduce the overall number of entries due to the qualified athletes exceeding the maximum sanctioned quota of 1810, as per the sources.

Countries were initially allowed to name five athletes with full accreditation, granting them access to the Olympic Village, facilities, transportation, and more. An additional alternate athlete could be activated as a replacement if needed.

However, under the revised criteria notified by WA on July 4, the reserve athlete will no longer receive full accreditation but will be considered an additional alternate, eligible to act as a replacement. This reserve athlete will still be able to stay in the Games Village within the existing bed allocation of the National Olympic Committee.

The AFI is set to submit its athlete entries through the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday.

An IOA source revealed to PTI that additional athletes could be accommodated outside the Games Village if necessary.

"The rules will be the same for all countries, whether it's a five-athlete or six-athlete rule. But the IOA can always accommodate any additional athlete outside the Games Village in case they are needed as replacements later," the source stated to PTI.

The AFI's commitment to adhering to WA's revised criteria ensures that the Indian relay team will be well-prepared for the Paris Olympics, maintaining flexibility with the inclusion of a sixth athlete.