Femke Bol anchors Netherlands to 4x400m victory in Glasgow (© Getty Images)
For a few fleeting moments, as the two leading runners on the anchor leg of the women’s 4x400m rounded into the home straight, a repeat of last year’s World Athletics Championships mixed relay final looked to be a possibility.
Alexis Holmes had closed around the bend and was within striking distance of Femke Bol. In the Budapest contest the woman from the US snatched gold as her despairing Dutch rival crashed to the track just short of the line.
On this occasion, however, Bol was playing it safe.
The world 400m hurdles champion had smashed her own world indoor record en route to victory in the flat 400m final the previous day at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, and – with team gold in mind – she was determined to remain in control.
Only in the final 10 metres did Bol shift into top gear, putting 0.27 between herself and Holmes.
The Dutch runner took world indoor gold in 3:25.07, a world lead, matching the women’s 4x400m gold they claimed with a stunning anchor leg by Bol a week after the mixed relay despair in Budapest.
They led from start to finish on Sunday (3).
Lieke Klaver, silver medallist behind Bol’s blistering 49.17 in the individual 400m final, built a seven metre lead on the opening leg, and Cathelijn Peeters and Lisanne De Witte made sure the Netherlands remained in pole position.
Klaver’s split of 50.26 was the fastest. Bol could afford to be marginally slower than Holmes on the final leg.
“I feel so tired,” confessed the double Dutch world indoor gold medallist, “but the championships are like this.
“These girls give me so much energy to run, especially if they give me the baton in first place. It’s such great team. You cannot let them down.”
Holmes and her US teammates – Quanera Hayes, Talitha Diggs and Bailey Lear – took silver in 3:25.34.
The British quartet, with twins Laivai and Lina Nielsen on the first two legs, backed up by Ama Pipi and Jessie Knight, claimed bronze in 3:26.36, a national record.
Then came Belgium – Naomi van den Broek, Helena Ponette, Camille Laus and Cynthia Bolingo – in 3:28.05, their second national record of the day.
Ireland were the only other finishers, fifth in 3:28.05. Jamaica, winners ahead of the Dutch in Belgrade two years ago, were in the medal hunt until Charokee Young lost hold of the baton on the third leg.
There was an Irish record of 3:28.45 in the morning’s semifinals, courtesy of Phil Healy, Sophie Becker, Roisin Harrison and Sharlene Mawdsley.
Portugal bowed out with a national record 3:31.93, their quartet featuring Fatoumata Binta Diallo, Carina Vanessa, Catia Azevedo and Vera Barbosa.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics
| WOMEN'S 4x400M MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Netherlands 🇳🇱 | 3:25.07 WL |
| 🥈 | United States 🇺🇸 | 3:25.34 |
| 🥉 | Great Britain & Northern Ireland 🇬🇧 | 3:26.36 NR |
| Full results | ||
