Bol also supreme at Diamond League, second place for relay team

Five days after the European Athletics Championships, which were successful for her, Femke Bol also took the victory in the 400 meters hurdles in the Diamond League competition in Lausanne. The 22-year-old Amersfoortse took a distance from her competitors in the last meters and crossed the finish line after 52.95 seconds.

The Dutch relay team just missed the victory in the 4×100 meters. Sifan Hassan finished in fourth place in the 3,000 meters. Nadine Visser and Lieke Klaver were not involved in the 100 meters hurdles and 400 meters respectively.

Bol had delivered a unique performance at the European Championships in Munich by becoming the first female athlete to win both the 400 meters flat and the 400 meters hurdles. She also won gold with the Dutch relay team in the 4×400 meters.

At a press conference prior to the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland, Bol said he was “a little tired”. “I still feel good and I’m happy, that also helps to reduce the fatigue in my legs. It’s a mental issue. I have to stay focused.”

And she had that focus again on Friday evening. Her start was good and she passed the hurdles smoothly. Dalilah Muhammad, one of Bol’s major competitors in the 400 meter hurdles, was also at the start, but was unable to compete for the win. The American number two at the Olympics and the number three at the World Cup finished seventh.

“The first 200 meters went very easily, I wasn’t too close to the hurdles either. I’m tired, but less tired than expected,” said Bol after the finish. “The last few days I have been in bed for 11 hours a day. I am happy that I now have some days of rest until my last race of the season.” Bol will only be in action in Zurich on September 8 at the final tournament of the Diamond League.

Janieve Russel from Jamaica was second in 53.92. Her compatriot Andrenette Knight finished third in 54.33. Olympic champion, world champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin was missing from Lausanne.

It was a busy evening for Lieke Klaver. In the 400 meters she played no significant role, but fifteen minutes later she helped the Dutch relay team to second place. She was accompanied by N’ketia Seedo, Jamile Samuel and Naomi Sedney.

The Netherlands got off to a strong start and was in second place when Sedney was handed the baton. The final runner for the Netherlands had a good final sprint, but the Ajla del Ponte was just a little faster in the last 100 meters and gave the Swiss team the win.

Hassan, who has not run many games this season, started the 3,000 meters at the back of the field. Halfway through, she shifted slightly, but also nearly sprained her ankle when she was compromised and had to take a few steps off the track.

The 29-year-old athlete remained upright and still entered the battle for victory. She was briefly in second place behind American Alicia Monson, but was overtaken in the last hundred meters by Beatrice Chebet and Francine Niyonsaba. 29-year-old Niyonsabe also overtook Monson and won.

Nadine Visser was not involved in the 100 meter hurdles. The 27-year-old hurdles specialist, who was 0.01 short for a bronze medal at the European Championships in Munich, crossed the line in seventh place in Lausanne. The victory went to Puerto Rican Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.