POLAND (August 6) — Femke Bol sizzled to an outstanding 49.75 seconds in her first 400m of the season to win the women’s event at the 2022 Kamila Skolimowska Memorial – Wanda Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on Saturday (6).
Bol, the world silver medalist in the 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships 2022 in Oregon, last month, distributed her energy almost evenly throughout the entire race, despite fading a bit late in the end. Read more: Camacho-Quinn edges Harrison to win 100m hurdles at Silesia Diamond League meeting
The Dutch star came off the final corner with the advantage and maintained her lead all the way to hold off the fast-finishing Polish sprinter Natalia Kaczmarek on her way to also setting a meeting record and smashing the 50.18 national record, set by Lieke Klaver at the world championships in July.
Kaczmarek was also in the best form of her life after clocking a personal best of 49.86 for second place with third going to Jamaica’s Candice McLeod (50.22) and her compatriot Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.31).
“It feels a bit strange now to run without the hurdles on the way, but it is amazing to break 50 seconds,” Bol said after her victory. “I knew I had it in my legs, but it is great to finally do it.
“Natalia really pushed hard in the final meters and competition always helps you perform better.”
| World Lead | |||||
| MILLER-UIBO Shaunae (BAH)49.11Hayward Field, Eugene, OR22 JUL 2022 | |||||
| Meeting Record | |||||
| SEMENYA Caster (RSA)50.0622 AUG 2018 | |||||
| Official winning time 49.75 | |||||
| REPORTS | |||||
| Rank | Nat | Name | Time | Qual. rank | Qual. points |
| 1 | NED | BOL Femke | 49.75NRMRPB | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | POL | KACZMAREK Natalia | 49.86PB | 2 | 17 |
| 3 | JAM | McLEOD Candice | 50.22 | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | JAM | McPHERSON Stephenie Ann | 50.31 | 1 | 18 |
| 5 | POL | KIELBASINSKA Anna | 50.57 | 7 | 10 |
| 6 | DOM | COFIL Fiordaliza | 51.36 | 9 | 8 |
| 7 | GER | SCHWAB Corinna | 51.72 | 15 | 2 |
| 8 | USA | JEFFERSON Kyra | 51.93 | 19 | 1 |
| 9 | POL | SWIETY-ERSETIC Justyna | 52.1 | 13 | 3 |
Bol will start as the favorite to win both the open 400m and 400m hurdles at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Germany, later this month, but she is yet to decide on whether to double up.
“I don’t know yet if I will do both the flat and the hurdles at the European Championships.
“I need to talk to my coach to decide on that. We also have a strong relay team and we want to do well in that after the disqualification in Eugene.
The fast time came as a surprise to Kaczmarek!
“I did not expect to run this fast when I got up this morning, but I felt good and wanted to prove my form did not evaporate and I can still get close to my best times,” she said.
