Femke Bol produced another amazing feat of 400m running when she ran a world indoor 400m record of 49.17 to take gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow on Saturday.
The flying Dutchwoman sped through 200m in 23.55, 0.09 faster than when she clocked the previous record of 49.24 two weeks ago in Apeldoorn – the venue for next year’s European Athletics Indoor Championships – to advertise that another entry into the annals of athletics history was on.
Over the second lap of the Emirates Arena she didn’t falter before notching up her third world indoor record over the distance.
“It’s a dream come true. I knew I was in good shape, but you can never predict a world record,” said the elated two-time European Athlete of the Year, knowing that she was also going to pocket a $50,000 world record bonus in addition to her $40,000 first prize.
"It was such a strong race, I knew I had to go out fast. My coach said to me ' you can run faster' but to be honest I just wanted to win. This is great because I've not done hurdles for four weeks and it gives me confidence," added Bol.
Femke Bol holds the three fastest indoor 400m times and four of the six fastest times in history! 📊
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) March 2, 2024
🇳🇱 Bol 49.17
🇳🇱 Bol 49.24
🇳🇱 Bol 49.26
🇺🇸 Wilson 49.48
🇨🇿 Kratochvilova 49.59
🇳🇱 Bol 49.63#WICGlasgow24 pic.twitter.com/RrTxRuwFIG
All credit as well to her compatriot Lieke Klaver. Starting on Bol’s outside in lane six, Klaver threw down the gauntlet to her friend and rival with a fast start although Bol had just edged in front by halfway through the first lap and was ahead at the break for the inside as the runners entered the home straight for the first time.
Klaver stayed within striking distance for much of the second lap until Bol pulled away over the final 50 metres. However, Klaver made it a Dutch 1-2 with second in 50.16.
Doom leaves it late to defeat Warholm
Despite Belgium’s fantastic tradition in the last two decades over 400m, no man from the country had ever won an individual medal over the distance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships until Alexander Doom crossed the line in a national record 45.25.
Into the bargain, Doom – who previous major championships accolades had all come as part of Belgium’s 4x400m quartets – moved up to fourth on the European all-time list over two laps of an indoor track.
The Belgian tracked the fast-starting Karsten Warholm – who equalled the European indoor record of 45.05 in the same arena when he won the 2019 European indoor title – through the first lap, which the 400m hurdles world record holder passed in a super-fast 21.30.
Waiting for the right moment to strike, Doom passed Warholm about 30 metres from the line to add to Belgium’s gold reserves after Noor Vidts’ pentathlon win on the first night.
"Usually I am just focused on the 4x4 but I love running individually. The heats and the semis went really well yesterday and to beat Karsten Warholm today is really amazing. He's an Olympic champion and has won almost everything there is. Not many people have beaten him. At the finish line I felt so, so, so gorgeous," reflected Doom.
Warholm came home second in 45.34, his third fastest indoor time ever and his best for four years, which also augers well for the summer when barriers rather than a tenacious Belgian will be his main obstacle.
Kerr and Caudery get the cheers
Not withstanding Bol’s world record, the biggest cheers of the night were reserved for the British victories of Josh Kerr in the 3000m and Molly Caudery in the pole vault, the latter taking the European title tally to six after two days in Glasgow.
Kerr, the 2023 world 1500m champion, has been working on his endurance in recent months and chose to go for gold over the longer distance in Glasgow. It proved to be an astute decision.
As the line approached for the penultimate time, Kerr changed gears and moved up from fourth to the front just before the bell.
Pumping his arms like a sprinter, he had too much in the tank for his rivals, especially after a modest early pace in the 15-lap race which played to his strengths, and won with aplomb in 7:42.98.
Caudery has increased her best from 4.75m, which she achieved when taking fifth place in Budapest last summer, in three increments this winter culminating in a world-leading 4.86m in Rouen a week ago.
Her second-time clearance at 4.80m was sufficient to take the title in Glasgow and despite her later saying she couldn’t quite believe what was happening, Caudery certainly looked the part in a world-class field with soaring clearances at all her heights until she had three failures at 4.85m.
A new pole vault queen has arrived! 👑@MollyCaudery soars to the world indoor pole vault title with a 4.80m clearance in Glasgow! ✨#WICGlasgow24 pic.twitter.com/cDI4k0l1Em
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) March 2, 2024
European athletes stood on the podium after seven of the eight finals had been concluded on Saturday night.
In the last event of the night, Poland’s Ewa Swaboda – who, like Warholm, had won a European indoor title in the Emirates Arena four years ago – took the silver medal in 7.00 after clocking a world lead and national record of 6.98 in her semi.
Italy’s emerging sprint star Zaynab Dosso took the bronze in 7.05 as Julien Alfred won St Lucia’s first ever world athletics title in 6.98.
More Italian delight came In a thrilling 60m hurdles final with Lorenzo Simonelli setting a national record of 7.43 – his fifth of the indoor season – to come out as the best of the rest of the world behind the USA’s Grant Holloway, who scared his recent world record with 7.29.
"I never imagined I'd get this result. I came here wanting to get to the final but to come out with a silver medal is crazy. It was a fight for second place as Holloway is impossible to beat. There's a great atmosphere in the Italian team. I think when I get home, me and my family will scream together as it's incredible," said Simonelli.
Behind the leading pair, France’s Just Kwaou-Mathey took the 60m hurdles bronze in 7.47 and a surprise bronze also went to Portugal’s Thiago Pereira in the triple jump as he bounded out to a season’s best of 17.08m in the last round to move up from sixth to third.
Full results and further information can be found on the World Athletics website here.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics