India enjoyed a superb day on the athletics track at the Asian Games, winning gold in the women’s 4x400m relay and bronze in the men’s event.

The women’s quartet of Kiran, Machettira Poovamma, Prachi and Vithya Ramraj clocked 3:29.69 to take gold. Bahrain won silver in 3:30.21 and China took bronze in 3:31.02.

Vithya Ramraj added the relay gold to the bronze she had already won in the 400m hurdles. The team ran a well-judged race, holding off Bahrain in the final stretch.

In the men’s race, the team of Dharmveer Choudhary, Manu Thekkinalil, Jay Kumar and Vishal Thennarasu finished third in 3:01.61. Less than a second separated the top three teams.

The double podium capped a strong day for Indian athletics. The relay medals took India’s athletics tally higher on a day of multiple podium finishes. Coaches praised the baton exchanges, which were clean under pressure. Relay medals are often decided by smooth changeovers as much as by raw speed.