Never before has a Dutch woman qualified for the World Cup final outdoor in the 400 meters. That is now a thing of the past, because Lieke Klaver qualified for this final battle in record time on Thursday morning. “Finally I’m going with the grown-ups.” In 50.18 seconds, the 23-year-old athlete from Enkhuizen improved her own record by 6 hundredths.
“The nerves I felt today were completely new to me,” says Lieke Klaver after her race in Eugene, USA. “I hope it’s a little less before the final, because this is really not pleasant.”
final battle
The panic attack didn’t stop Clover from having a great time. It is striking that she already took over the Dutch record from Femke Bol four days ago. The final battle in the 400 meters is on Saturday morning at 4.15 am Dutch time.