Hima Das ends her World U-20 campaign with another record

India’s first ever athlete to win a gold at any global track event, Hima Das made another history at the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships, after anchoring the Indian women’s 4×400m relay quartet team to a junior  national record on Saturday. Her campaign though came to an end after the quartet failed to qualify for the final round.

The women’s 4×400m relay team comprising of S Venkatsen, Jisna Mathew, Ritika and Hima clocked 3 minutes and 39.10 seconds to finish fourth in heat number two.

The first two in each of the three heats and the next two fastest teams qualify for the finals.

But despite failing to qualify for the finals, the Indian quartet had successfully broken the earlier national U-20 record of 3:40.50 set in 2002 , Bangkok

Also Read: From Dhing to Tampere: The world at Hima Das’ feet

The 4×400m relay race was the last event for Hima, who clinched a historical gold in the 400m  becoming not only the first women to win a gold medal at a track event, but also the first ever Indian to win the yellow metal at an international competition.

Meanwhile, elsewhere Priyadarshini Suresh crashed out of the women’s triple jump event with a below par 12.50m effort to finish 10th in the Group A qualification round.

Hima has also qualified for the 200m race in the upcoming Asian Games after winning gold in the National Inter State Championships in Guwahati last month.

At the 200m Hima is at number four among the season leaders in Asia after her 23.10 effort in Guwahati. Viktoriya Zyabkina of Kazakhstan is the Asian season leader with 22.73 in this event.

Also Read: Hima Das wins India’s maiden gold at World U-20 Athletics Championship

Now she will return to her training base near the Czech Republic capital, Prague, to continue her preparations for the Asian Games where she will hope to stand on the podium once again in the 400m event.