ATHLETICS – Nick Smidt from Assen has won bronze with the Dutch relay men in the 4×400 meters at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. The foursome from Belgium won in 3.06.52, Spain was slightly faster than the Netherlands (3.06.90) with 3.06.82.
The Dutch foursome, with Smidt, Taymir Burnet, Terrence Agard and Tony van Diepen, had qualified for the final earlier in the day by running the fourth time. The Americans, who grabbed the Olympic title for the Netherlands in Tokyo, were eliminated.
The relay teams in the 4×400 meters made their international breakthrough last year. First there was gold for both the men and the women at the European Championships indoor, then the men won gold in the World Championship relay.
The highlight followed at the Olympic Games, where the quartet Liemarvin Bonevacia, Agard, Van Diepen and Ramsey Angela stunted with silver in the 4×400 meters. Bonevacia was missing at the World Indoor Championships. Shortly before the World Cup, he suffered a hamstring injury.
silver for women
The Dutch relay women captured silver in Belgrade. Lieke Klaver, Eveline Saalberg, Lisanne de Witte and Femke Bol came to 3.28.57 minutes. Only the Jamaican athletes were faster with 3.28.40. The bronze went to Poland in 3.28.59.