Indian walkers Akshdeep, Priyanka qualify for Paris Olympics in mixed-relay

Priyanka Goswami (Pic: AFP)

India's mixed relay team comprising Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami qualified for Paris Olympics by virtue of their 18th place finish at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships here on Sunday. The top-22 teams automatically qualify for the quadrennial extravaganza and the Indian duo clocked a personal best time of 3:05.03 across the 42.195 km distance that they covered.

The format of mixed team relay walk warrants the man and woman to alternately cover the said distance.

The man first walks 12.195 km and then the woman covers 10km followed by another 10 km from the man and the final 10km by the woman. There is a 20 metre distance for the changeover before each leg starts.

The event was won by the Italian team represented by Francesco Fortunato and Valentina Trapletti, who won the gold medal with a timing of 2:56:45.

This is also the duo's personal best timing. They were followed by Japan's Koki Ikeda and Kumiko Okada, who clocked their personal best time of 2:57:04.

The bronze was taken by the Spanish duo of Alvaro Martin and Laura Garcia-Caro, who finished the race in 2:57:47.

Meanwhile, India begins its quest to bag a maximum possible 24 Paris Olympics quota places in shooting, with their men's and women's Trap shooting teams taking the field in Doha on Sunday, to try and qualify for the finals of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Final Olympic Qualification Championship Shotgun, in their respective events.

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Prithviraj Tondaiman, Zoravar Sandhu and Vivaan Kapoor will try and win the remaining available quota in men's trap while Shreyasi Singh, Manisha Keer and Neeru will try and maximise India's Paris spots in the corresponding women's event.

Bhowneesh Mendiratta and Rajeshwaari Kumari have earned a quota place each in the men's and women's trap for India in earlier competitions. The qualification is spread over three days culminating with the finals of both events on Tuesday.

The Trap competition will be followed by the Skeet event for both men and women, where also India have two more quota places to win.

India have thus far won a record 20 Paris Olympic quota places in Shooting, including a maximum of eight each in the rifle and pistol disciplines and four in Shotgun.

(With agency inputs)