GLASGOW (Scotland): Record-setting Femke Bol bettered her status as one of the stars of track and field as she broke her 400-meter world record with an incredible victory at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
The Dutchwoman broke her world record to win the 400m in Glasgow. She had previously won the 400m hurdles and ran an incredible anchor leg to help the Netherlands win the women’s 4x400m relay gold at the Budapest World Championships the previous year.
Bol started the race with teammate Lieke Klaver outside of her, and the 24-year-old quickly took the lead and controlled the race from the front.
Netherlands runner crossed the finish line in 49.17, taking nine-hundredths of a second off the record she set at the Dutch Indoors a little over a year ago, and Klaver chased after her in vain.
With Alexis Holmes winning bronze for the United States with a personal best time of 50.24, she was nearly two seconds ahead of Klaver. Laviai Nielsen, the home favourite, placed fourth with a personal best time of 50.89.
“I knew I needed a really good race to win this gold. I knew I had to open fast, and once you open fast you have to keep going because you’ll die anyway!” Bol said afterwards as quoted by olympics.com.
“It’s amazing to also run a world record again. I was hoping to be in the 49… my coaches thought I could do it but I really wanted the gold,” she added. (ANI)