Behind a stunning final leg, Femke Bol led a Netherlands comeback that ended in a gold medal in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and upset a United States team that had set the world record just one night earlier.

Bol’s final lap in 47.93 seconds overcame a lead that the US had held since Vernon Norwood’s opening leg and that its anchor, Kaylyn Brown, had extended to several metres with 200m remaining and protected entering the final straight.

Yet Bol would not be denied amid falling rain inside Stade de France as she charged into first within steps of the finish line to close out the gold in a European record of 3:07.43, just 0.02 shy of the world record and 0.31 ahead of the US in silver.

Great Britain, helped by an anchor leg of 48.81 by Amber Anning, was third in a national record of 3:08.01.

Eugene Omalla led off for the Netherlands in 45.3, followed by Lieke Klaver in 49.3. Isaya Klein Ikkink set up Bol’s anchor with a 44.90 clocking.

Bol called the victory redemption for the 2023 World Championships when she fell in the final five metres as the US pulled away for the win and the Netherlands failed to make the podium as Great Britain and the Czech Republic ran past Bol’s crash.

“I channelled my anger from Budapest,” when given a second chance on Saturday in Paris, Bol said. “And I saw my teammates cheering for me.”

Her extraordinarily fast split time was secondary to what Bol said she wanted most.

“I just went for it,” she said. “We just wanted a medal this time. We just wanted a medal. Well, we got gold. It’s absolutely crazy for a small country like us.”

With a strong close, Norwood was the first leadoff runner to pass the baton and Shamier Little held that lead with a 49.4 split, despite a challenge from the Netherlands on the final curve as rain fell. Bryce Deadmon’s sizable lead at the start of the third leg had dwindled to a dead heat with Belgium as Brown began the fourth and final lap. Within 150 meters, she immediately widened the gap, until Bol came roaring back.

One night earlier, the same US line-up ran 3:07.41 to smash the world record already held by the US. As part of her Olympic preparation, Little had dyed her hair shades of purple to match the colour of the track inside Stade de France.

“Look, a world record and even the opportunity of having an Olympic medal is one in a million, so whether it was gold silver or bronze, the fact that we’re here is amazing,” said Deadmon.

Andrew Greif for World Athletics

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