BUDAPEST – Femke Bol produced an astonishing anchor leg for the Netherlands in the women’s 4x400m relay on Sunday to claim her second gold medal of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Bol began the championships in disastrous fashion by falling and dropping the baton as she closed in on the line in the 4x400m mixed relay.
She went on to totally dominate the 400m hurdles event, easily taking gold.
On Sunday, in the final event of these championships, Bol took the baton well down in third place for the fourth and final lap and gradually made up ground on Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams and Britain’s Nicole Yeargin.
Entering the home straight, the crowd rose to their feet as Bol accelerated past Yeargin and in a dramatic finish pipped Williams to the line.
She literally staggered from there into the arms of her three relay teammates, collapsing to the track after her breathtaking effort.
“The first three legs went so well, I felt like I had to finish as strongly as I could.” said Bol.
“I wanted to stay patient, but in the last metres I said ‘No, we have to take it’.
“It was one of my most important runs ever, but it is the first time we became world champions, so it applies for all of us.
“Every tenth and hundredth of a second were needed. We had good exchanges and still barely won it.”
The Dutch team, also including Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver and Cathelijn Peeters, took gold in 3min 20.72sec, with Jamaica claiming silver in 3:20.88 and Britain rounding out the podium in 3:21.04.
Third-leg runner Peeters said she had been ready to accept that the Dutch team would finish in third spot.
“To be honest, I was already happy with a bronze medal, then I realised we might win a silver, and was shocked at the end with the gold.” she said.
Meanwhile, the United States emphatically won their ninth world men's 4x400 gold from the last 10 finals on Sunday.
The US men, who have won four of the last five Olympic golds as well as their world championships domination, were always in control of their race and came home well clear in 2:57.31.
Quincy Hall and Vernon Norwood built an early lead before Justin Robinson, who also got a gold in the mixed relay, stretched it to give anchor Rai Benjamin a virtual lap of honour.
That made four out of five relay golds (the women’s 4x400 quartet were disqualified in the heats) following their double sprint success on Saturday and mixed 4x400 on the opening night.
It also left them away and clear at the top of the medal table with 12 golds and 29 medals in all. Canada and Spain were next on the podium with four golds each.
France took a surprise silver as a national record 2:58.45 gave them their first medal of the championships. Britain took bronze in 2:58.71, holding off back-to-back silver medallists Jamaica.
“I felt like I wasn’t moving that fast but I’m happy these guys got me in a position to bring it home,” said Benjamin.
“It’s what we talked about before. It means a lot that the guys have faith in me and trust me. Quincy had an amazing start and the rest of the boys finished strong. It was teamwork.”
After finally getting their country on the board in the penultimate event, French leadout man Ludvy Vaillant said: “It gives us confidence for the next year, for the Olympic Games on home soil.”
AFP, REUTERS
