"Acclimatisation in Bahamas proved useful in earning Olympic berth": 4x400 m team athlete Amoj Jacob

The quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Muhammed Ajmal, Arokia Rajiv and Amoj Jacob finished behind the United States of America in Olympic Qualifying Round 2 of the World Relays Championship in Nassau, The Bahamas to secure their Olympic spot.

Coached by Jamaican Jason Dawson and financially supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the team reached The Bahamas a month ahead of the event to acclimatise itself. And the results are for everyone to see.

In a freewheeling chat with SAI Media, Amoj Jacob, who ran the anchor leg, talks about qualifying for Paris 2024 and the team's magical show in last year's World Athletics Championships when it broke the sub-3-minute mark twice in finishing fifth.

On how much a month-long stay in the US and Bahamas ahead of the Olympic qualifying competition helped, Amoj said, "The acclimatisation in the Bahamas was very useful. The time zone difference would have made things difficult for us. We were unable to sleep or recover well. It was good that we went a month earlier. And we were all ready for the competition two weeks prior. Then we worked out and got there and qualified."

Amoj said that it felt great qualifying for the Olympics and they had planned to register a timing of 3:00 and 3:10 beforehand so that their confidence heading into the multi-sport event is high.

"We reached the Bahamas a month prior to the World Relays, thanks to Sports Authority of India and Athletics Federation of India. Other teams had reached Nassau just a week ahead of the event," he added.

Amoj said that his body took almost a week to adapt to the weather and different time zones in the Bahamas.

"I was sleeping in the afternoon and not being able to sleep at night due to the time zone change. The entire team encountered the same problem and it was good that we reached the Bahamas a month earlier. However, looking at the same beach every day did get boring," he added.

Amoj said that it was unfortunate that one of the team members, Rajesh Ramesh suffered a hamstring injury in the Olympic Qualifiers round one otherwise they would have clocked timings below two minutes.

"Despite the setback, we were able to book our berth for the Olympics. That is highly motivating," he continued.

He said that the team was able to adapt in the absence of Rajesh as they were all practicing together.

"And we had trained the baton exchange with different combinations. The only concern was to ensure that no one else got injured. In fact, it is easier than 100 meters relay where better coordination is required. So, it was an easy transition for us. And because Rajiv was with us for a long time, he was in the camp, he was our senior. So, he knew what to expect and what not. And it was easy only," Amoj added.

Amoj said that after achieving the fifth spot in the World Championships in Budapest last year, the team faced pressure in Asian Games as well, where they went on to secure a gold medal.

"We knew that we had the US in our Heats and they mostly run below 3 minutes. So, our plan was to stay close to them in the race, which will not only improve our time but also help us qualify for the Paris Games," he concluded. (ANI)