Relay women still get an Olympic ticket, Bol leads mixed team to silver

NOS Sports•today, 06:46

The Dutch relay teams have won a third ticket for the Olympic Games at the World Relays. In the repechage round of the unofficial world championships, the women raced to first place in their series in the 4×400 meters, good for a ticket to Paris.

The mixed team (4×400 m) secured the only medal of honor by coming second behind the American team in the final.

The men’s teams in the 4×100 and 4×400 meters failed to secure a starting ticket for the Games in the Bahamas.

Once again, world top athletes Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver did not participate in the women’s team in the 4×400 meters, they were used in the final of the mixed relay. Without Bol and Klaver, the Dutch quartet missed its first chance of Olympic qualification on Saturday, and therefore also the final.

In the repechage, Eveline Saalberg, Myrte van der Schoot, Lisanne de Witte and Cathelijn Peeters won by force majeure on Sunday evening in 3.27.45.

The men at the same distance did not go fast enough in the repechage either. Eugene Omalla, Terence Agard, Ramsey Angela and Liemarvin Bonevacia finished fourth in their series behind Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and France. An Olympic ticket was ready for the first two of each series.

The men’s team won silver in the 4×400 meters during the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Qualification for Paris is still possible, two starting spots are reserved for countries with the fastest season times of teams that have not qualified through the World Relays.

The sprint team in the 4×100 meters must also hope for that back door. Xavi Mo-Ajok, Taymir Burnet, Hensley Paulina and Onyema Adigida were unable to make it to a top two finish in the repechage due to a failed substitution.

The women had qualified for the final on the sprint distance. With the Olympic ticket in their pockets, N’Ketia Seedo, Marije van Hunestijn, Minke Bisschops and Tasa Jiya were able to compete against the world’s top.

The Netherlands finished sixth in 43.07, well behind a strong American quartet (41.85).

The United States delegation won four of the five gold medals in Nassau. Gold also went to the US in the final of the mixed relay, with Bol taking home the silver medals with a strong final round.

Bol was just ahead of Irish final runner Rhasidat Adeleke at the finish. With Isayah Boers, Isaya Klein Ikkink and Lieke Klaver she eventually recorded 3.11.45.