Hoping to secure a Paris ticket with a top-two finish in heat number four, the Indian quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal, and Amoj Jacob faced a heartbreaking moment when Ramesh left the race midway, clutching his left leg.

None of the ten athletes, comprising five in each gender category, managed to produce satisfactory timings in the 20km events. Servin Sebastian emerged as the lone Indian to crack the top-20, yet his performance was notably below his previously set standards.

In a first for an Olympic sport, gold-medallists in 48 athletics events of this year's Paris Games will be awarded USD 50,000 by World Athletics