Mixed 4×400 relay team qualifies for World Cup final | sport

The quartet Liemarvin Bonevacia, Lieke Klaver, Tony van Diepen and Eveline Saalberg finished second to the American quartet in the first of two heats and advanced directly to the final, which will take place at 4:50 a.m. Dutch time on Friday evening . .

Bonevacia and Klaver last summer, along with Femke Bol and Ramsey Angela, were part of the relay team that finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics in the mixed 4×400 meters, a relatively new part in athletics. An athlete may be substituted for the final. It is obvious that Femke Bol will then take the place of Saalberg. At this World Cup, Bol competes individually in the 400 meters hurdles, but is by far the fastest Dutch athlete in the 400 meters.

Starter Bonevacia started at Eugene’s Hayward Field with a fast lap of 44.93 and smoothly handed over to Clover, who took the race lead and outdid himself with a sub-50 split. seconds (49.46). Van Diepen then skilfully captures an attack from American Vernon Norwood and keeps Orange in first place during the third substitution.

Saalberg had to give up the lead to American Wadeline Jonathas from the final 200 meters, but she managed to stay ahead of Poland’s Justyna Swiety-Ersetic. The Polish team won Olympic gold in Tokyo last year, the Americans won bronze.

The Dutch quartet’s final time was 3.12.63. Team USA recorded 3.11.75. These are the two best times of the heats, because in the second series the countries were slower. The Dominican Republic, silver medalists in Tokyo, won this series in 3.13.22.