Lieke Klaver managed to reach the World Cup limit in the 200 meters. The 23-year-old athlete from Enkhuizen ran to 22.71 seconds in the semifinals in Apeldoorn. She thus remained under the limit (22.80) for the World Cup next month in America (Eugene).
Klaver ran the limit for the 200 meters, but her focus remains on the 400 meters and the relay. “Secretly I had hoped to go towards the limit for the World Cup in the final on Sunday. Bizarre that I am already running below that limit,” the North Holland player responded to the NOS. “I’m running on new Adidas spikes and only got them on Friday. I haven’t run with them before. I’m not saying I’m running fast with those new shoes, but it’s going fast.”
“I don’t know what I want, but what I’m going to do at the World Cup is clear: that’s the 400 meters. In the 200 meters I just want to show the coaches that I’m still fast,” the athlete was determined. “The 400 meters is my thing this summer.”
Thomas van Ophem from Alkmaar took gold in the javelin throw. The 29-year-old record holder came to a distance of 73.15 meters with the javelin. That was more than enough for the Dutch title. Tom Egbers (70.36 meters) and Thomas Knoop (68.89) were clearly less. It is Van Ophem’s first gold medal at the Dutch Athletics Championships.
Earlier in the day, Richard Douma (5 kilometers) and Djoao Lobles (800 meters) were already successful with a gold medal.