In the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Lieke Klaver qualified as the first Dutchman ever to qualify for the World Cup final in the 400 meters. The North Holland also ran a Dutch record again. In the men, Liemarvin Bonevacia did not make it in the semifinals.
The 23-year-old Klaver ran in her heat from the semifinals to second place in 50.18. That classification gave her direct access to the final battle in the night from Friday to Saturday (Dutch time).
With that 50.18, the Noord-Hollandse sharpened her own Dutch record. On Sunday in the series she clocked 50.24 and with that she ran the Dutch record of Femke Bol (50.37) from the books.
Klaver, who is also good in the 200 meters, is known as a fast starter, but in the semi-finals in Eugene she also managed to pull that off and cross the line in second.
The finalists of the 400 meters
- 1. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) – 49.55
- 2. Marileidly Paulino (Dominican Republic) – 49.98
- 3. Candice McLeod (Jamaica) – 50.05
- 4. Sada Williams (Barbados) – 50.12
- 5. Fiordaliza Cofil (Dominican Republic – 50.14
- 6. Lieke Klaver (Netherlands) – 50.18
- 7. Stephanie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) – 50.56
- 8. Anna Kielbasinska (Poland) – 50.65
Disbelief at Lieke Klaver after the finish.
Disbelief at Lieke Klaver after the finish. Photo: Getty Images
Clover with sixth time to final
Klaver was overjoyed with her performance and sat on the track just after the finish in disbelief. Only the Dominican Fiordaliza Cofil (50.14) was faster than Klaver in the heat.
Viewed across the field, Klaver recorded the sixth fastest time. A total of eight women went through and the fastest was Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, who is also the favorite for the world title. Dominacan Marileidly Paulino was the only other athlete under 50 seconds.
It would be a huge surprise if Klaver runs to a place in the final. Last Friday she already took silver with the relay team in the 4×400 meters mixed.
Lieke Klaver already ran a Dutch record in the 400 meters twice this World Cup.
Lieke Klaver already ran a Dutch record in the 400 meters twice this World Cup. Photo: Getty Images
Bonevacia grabs next to place in the final battle
Also among the men, a Dutchman has never managed to reach the World Cup final in the 400 meters, but last year Bonevacia was in the final battle at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
In Eugene, 33-year-old Bonevacia went for a place in the final battle, but that didn’t work out. The Dutch champion finished sixth in his heat of the semifinals. Bonevacia’s time was 45.50 and that was more than a second above his Dutch record (44.48).
In the series, Bonevacia had worked his way through the semi-finals fairly easily, but his fourth race in six days apparently took its toll. He continued well in the second corner, but was unable to accelerate again on the last part to the finish and fell back.
American Michael Norman was the fastest of the three heats in semifinals. He ran 44.30.