Femke Bol eclipsed her world indoor 400m record on the second day of the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn on Sunday (18) afternoon.
In front of a capacity crowd at the Omnisport Apeldoorn - the host venue for the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships - Bol crossed the finish-line in 49.24 to break her world indoor record set on this track last year by two-hundredths.
In a near repeat of last year’s race, Bol broke from the outside lane and into the lead with her training partner and relay teammate Lieke Klaver in pursuit and only a stride behind.
But Bol is at her very best in the last 100 metres and the long-striding 23-year-old kept her form brilliantly and stretched away from Klaver off the final bend to yet another record-breaking performance.
“It feels really special to run this world record in front of the Dutch track and field fans,” said Bol to the trackside interviewer after her world record.
This was Bol’s last race before the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow from 1-3 March when she will be seeking success in both the 400m and 4x400m relay.
Bol holds the three fastest times in the world in the 400m this indoor season and the Dutch will also be confident of adding the world indoor 4x400m title to their ever growing medal haul.
Behind Bol, Klaver finished second in a big indoor lifetime best of 50.10 to move to second on the 2024 world list and ninth on the world all-time indoor 400m list.
And after running a lifetime best of 52.01 in yesterday’s heat, Cathelijn Peeters - another member of their gold medal-winning team at the World Athletics Championships - was third in 52.08.
Steven Mills for European Athletics
