For a moment, the Dutch women’s relay team 4×400 meters seemed to qualify for the final. In the end, the wrong passing of the tube between Lieke Klaver and Cathelijn Peeters turned out to be a bummer. She dropped the baton, resulting in the disqualification.
The rules prescribe that the tube must be in the hands of the runners for the full 1600 meters. Peeters dropped the baton and stoically ran on. In the end, the Netherlands came in third, which would be enough for a place in the final. The disapproval was still contested by the Netherlands, but without success.
Afterwards, Klaver was especially disappointed by the large number of rules that are imposed. “Of course the rules are there to be adhered to”, the athlete from Enkhuizen was clearly against the NOS. “There are just so many and they are handled so strictly. That is difficult in a relay race where you approach at high speed, there are people everywhere on the track and the adrenaline is rushing through your body.”
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No final
It was also a sour race in the series for the men. Like the women, they didn’t make it to the final either, but the way in which they did was very annoying. Tony van Diepen from Heerhugowaard was spared.
Amsterdammer Isayah Boers, Terrence Agard, Nick Smidt and Ramsey Angela were one hundredth (3:03,14) short of a place in the final. A place in the first three was sufficient and they could possibly have continued in fifth, but that did not happen.