by Larry Eder
Femke Bol takes gold and a new WR!
Femke Bol has trained for both the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles.
Femke Bol set a WR at 400m just weeks ago in 49.23. I was reading about her workouts and she trains like an 800 meter runner who goes over hurdles!
Femke Bol dominated her final, with Lieke Klaver, her team mate, chasing hear, and Alexis Holmes of the USA, pushing to gain a medal.
Femke Bol hit the finish in 49.17, a new world record! Lieke Klaver finished in silver in 50.16. Alexis Holmes, USA, was bronze in 50.24 PB. Laviai Nielson, GBR, finished 5th in PB of 50.89 with Talitha Diggs, USA, 51.23 =SB. Susanne Gogl-Walli, Austria, took sixth in 51.37 NR.
Femke Bol told the media: “It was amazing. It was such a strong race I knew I had to go out fast. My coach said to me ‘ you can run faster’ but to be honest I just wanted to win. This is great because I’ve not done hurdles for four weeks, and it gives me confidence. And getting this with Lieke is so good for our sport and team. I am missing the hurdles. I mean, I like the 400, and I must say I like the indoors a bit more than the outdoors. It is just great to race. I enjoy racing, and this competition and the atmosphere have been amazing.”
A happy Lieke Klaver spoke of her silver: “It means a lot to get this medal. I had planned it in my head, but you still have to deliver. I’ve just finished my studies, and now winning this silver medal is great. I love indoors. You can step out of the intensity of winter training for a bit. Now, we go back to training after the championships. But we are so excited in the Dutch team about the relays here. The girls brought me coffee this morning. We do this in our team and can’t wait to get out and run the (4x400m) relay.”
