Athletics
Femke Bol broke the longest-standing indoor world record in the books on Sunday (19 February) at the Dutch National Championships.
Jarmila Kratochvilova of the old Czechoslovakia ran 49.59 for the 400m in Milan back in March 1982.
Almost 41 years later, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist clocked a sensational 49.26 in Apeldoorn to make history.
She told Dutch media afterwards, "I was hoping for a 49.5 here, but 49.26. I really have no words for this. It is my first world record at a real distance. Could it be even faster? This was almost a perfect race."
Bol had previously set world bests in the 300m hurdles and the indoor 500m.
Bol has previously been best known for her exploits over hurdles, taking world silver behind Sydney McLaughlin last July.
But the following month at the European Championships in Munich, she won the flat 400m as well as the hurdles before anchoring the Dutch women to 4x400m relay gold.
The Amersfoort native, who turns 23 on Thursday, had set Dutch indoor records over 200m and 400m earlier this month.
At last year's World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Bol took silver behind two-time reigning Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
Whether she decides to focus on the hurdles, or switch her attentions more to the flat, she is certainly one to watch ahead of August's World Championships in Budapest.
Next up for Bol are March's European Indoor Championships in Istanbul where she will defend her 400m and 4x400m relay titles.
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