Femke Bol extended her European indoor title in the 400 meters on Saturday in Istanbul. The 23-year-old athlete set a time of 49.85 seconds. Bol, also a three-time outdoor champion, was the big favorite for victory. She broke the 41-year-old world record in the 400 meters indoor last February by finishing with a time of 49.26 seconds.
Bol started in lane 5, with Lieke Klaver in front of him in lane 6. When merging just before the start of the second lap, Bol had already passed Klaver, who is known for her fast start. She then put them in gear and convincingly ran to victory. Her victory brings Bol’s number of medals won – won at World Cups, European Championships and the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 – to eleven. She won gold six times, silver four times and bronze once.
Lieke Klaver finished second on Saturday with a time of 50.57 seconds. It was the 24-year-old Enkhuizen’s first individual medal at an international tournament. Klaver said afterwards that it was time “to deal with the past”. She says that the silver medal gives her “a lot of satisfaction” after previous disappointing finals. Bol calls it “very special” that she and Klaver finished in first and second place together.
Also read this article about Bol’s favorite role at the European Indoor Championships