Femke Paul, Evelyn Saalberg, Likie Claver and Kathleen Peters took home the historic gold medal in the 4x400m event on Sunday night on the final day of the World Championships in Athletics. The title in Budapest was mainly due to Paul’s impressive final sprint.
At the beginning of the final round, the Netherlands was still in third place. In the closing metres, a silver seemed the limit that could be achieved, but Paul still had an unprecedented sprint in his legs and leading Jamaican sprinter Stacy Ann Williams collapsed.
The Netherlands, where Claver also performed well, set a national record of 3.20.72. Jamaica came in second, with a time of 3:20.88. The bronze went to Great Britain, with a time of 3:21.04 minutes. Never before has a Dutch relay team won gold at a World Cup.
Seven-time world champions the United States missed the final at the National Athletic Center. This team was disqualified earlier in the series due to a faulty substitution.
The women’s relay was named last year’s team sports best. Paul, Claver, Salberg and Lizanne de Witt, who missed the final in Budapest, became European champions in the best European time of the year.
Femke Bol has taken gold twice
This is the second (gold) medal in the championship for the 23-year-old Paul. Previously, her favorite was the 400m hurdles. With the 4x400m title you avenge a failed stint in the 4x400m mixed race. Then it crashed just short of the finish.
Claver ran her seventh race and competed in four heats at this championship. In addition to the 4×400 and 4×400 mixed, I also ran the 400m (6th in the final) and 4x100m (didn’t finish in the final).
Earlier in the evening, the Dutch men failed to win a medal in the 4x400m event. Terence Agard, Ramsey Angela, Isaiah Porse, and Isaiah Klein-Eckink finished seventh, with a time of 3:00.40. The world title was for the United States (2:57.31). France and Great Britain complete the podium.
Thanks to the gold medal in the 4x400m event, the Netherlands is hosting the most successful World Athletics Championships of all time. In total, two golds, one silver, and two bronzes were obtained.
Uitslag finale 4×400 meter
- Nederland – 3.20,72
- Jamaica – 3.20,88
- Groot-Brittannië – 3.21,04
- Canada – 3.22,42
- België – 3.22,84
- Polen – 3.24,93
- Italië – 3.24,98
- Ierland – 3.27,08
- Frankrijk – 3.28,35
