Hengelo, Netherlands (March 8) — World indoor record-holder Femke Bol and and her European indoor 400m silver medalist training partner, Lieke Klaver are set to clash over 200 meters at the FBK Games in Hengelo on June 4.
Bol, who set a world indoor record of 49.26 seconds at the Dutch Indoor Championships last month –breaking a long-standing mark that stood for nearly 41 years — will test her speed in the half-lap sprint, and she is excited to continue her exceptional form outdoors.
She has an outdoor 200m personal best best of 23.00 seconds, but clocked a national record of 22.87 seconds during the indoor season in Metz, last month.
“I am very excited to be at the FBK Games again this year,” said 400m hurdles specialist Bol, who won world silver in her premier event at Oregon 2022 last summer and claimed Olympic bronze in Tokyo in 2021.
Bol is coming off another golden double at the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, where she won the 400m in 49.85 and clocked another 50-seconds split in anchoring the Netherlands team to 4x400m gold in championship record time of 3:25.66.
“This time, even without hurdles, just like my first time running in the main program. I can’t wait to run again in a full stadium in the Netherlands with the help of my (Dutch) fans,” added Bol, who won the 400m hurdles at the FBK Games in 2022.
Meanwhile, Klaver, who won the European indoor 4x400m relay title with Bol earlier this year, will also use the meeting to test her speed in the 200m, an event she owns a lifetime outdoor best of 22.66 secs.
The Dutch sprinter and World 400m fourth-place finisher in Oregon, claimed European indoor 400m silver behind Bol in Istanbul with a time of 50.57 secs, and she is looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd.
“It’s great to race close to home for once and not have to travel so much,” Klaver said. “Almost all my training buddies also participate, which makes it a great experience to run together.”
The FBK Games 2023 is the eighth Gold level meeting of the 2023 World Athletics Continental Tour, which kicked off in Melbourne last month.
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