Dutch sprinter Femke Bol has scripted another history as she broke her world record at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Femke Bol enhanced her status as one of the stars of track and field with a stunning triumph at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships on Saturday. The Dutchwoman, who won the 400m hurdles and ran a sensational anchor leg to secure women’s 4x400m relay gold for the Netherlands at last year’s Budapest World Championships, broke her world record to take the 400m title in Glasgow.
The 24-year-old clocked 49.17 seconds to win the gold medal, lowering her previous mark of 49.24 that she set at the Dutch national indoor championships in February. Subsequently, she also became the first woman to run under 49.20 indoors.
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Femke Bol had teammate Lieke Klaver on her outside at the start with the 24-year-old was soon in the lead and controlling the race from the front.
Klaver chased in vain with Bol crossing the line in 49.17, taking nine-hundredths off the mark she set at the Dutch Indoors just over a year ago.
She was almost a second clear of Klaver with Alexis Holmes taking bronze for the United States in a personal best of 50.24. Home favourite Laviai Nielsen was fourth in 50.89, another personal best.
Bol said afterwards, “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!”
“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.”
Femke Bol’s record run further increases the anticipation for one of the most exciting showdowns at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone a potential rival in both the 400m hurdles and 400m flat.
Read more: World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024: First look at the medals
The two stars are expected to face each other in both events at the Paris Olympics 2024, where they will also have to contend with other rivals such as Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, and Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain.
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