Dutch relay teams win bronze at World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

Dutch athletes won two bronze medals in relay events at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, setting a new national record in the men’s 4x100 meters and adding to the women’s 4x400 meters success, AD reported.

The men’s 4x100 meter team of Nsikak Ekpo, Taymir Burnet, Xavi Mo-Ajok, and Elvis Afrifa ran a time of 37.81 seconds in heavy rain, securing bronze and breaking the Dutch national record. The United States took gold in 37.39, with Canada claiming silver in 37.55. “Despite the rain, all baton exchanges were fast and flawless,” the team said.

Individually, none of the sprinters rank among the fastest in the world over 100 meters, but their precision in passing the baton has proven decisive. Afrifa and Burnet also competed individually in the 100 meters; Afrifa reached the semifinals, while Burnet was eliminated in the heats. Mo-Ajok ran the 200 meters and reached the semifinals. Last year, the team earned silver at the European Championships in Rome.

On the women’s side, Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver, Lisanne de Witte, and Femke Bol won bronze in the 4x400 meters with a time of 3:20.18, slightly above the national record. The United States claimed gold in 3:16.61, and Jamaica took silver in 3:19.28. Bol, who began the race in third position, could not close the gap on the leaders.

Bol added her third medal of the championships after winning gold in the 400 meter hurdles and silver in the mixed 4x400 meter relay. Klaver also earned her second medal, following silver in the mixed relay. The women had previously won gold in the 4x400 meters at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and silver at last year’s Olympic Games in a national record of 3:19.503. With the two bronze medals in Tokyo, the Netherlands has now won six medals at the championships, surpassing its previous record of five in Budapest in 2023.