A Femke Bol-inspired Dutch mixed 4x400m quartet won the first gold medal of the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships on Thursday (6), on the event’s debut at the championships.
In her first appearance of the indoor season, Bol took the baton for the final leg with four teams abreast. But there was an air of inevitability around the Apeldoorn Omnisport Arena and the irrepressible Bol thrilled the packed crowd by bringing home the gold in a 4x400m relay for eighth time in a major championship for the Netherlands.
Tenth European title
She was put in position by first leg runner Nick Smidt, who won world indoor men’s 4x400m bronze in 2022, who handed over to Eveline Saalberg in the lead with Belgium and Great Britain in close attendance.
A reliable colleague of Bol in the decorated Dutch 4x400m women’s team, Saalberg relinquished the lead to Belgium’s Imke Vervaet as Emily Newman moved Great Britain into silver medal position. But there was very little to choose between the three teams.
The third leg only tightened the pack with Bernat Erta bringing Spain into medal contention. But the Netherlands’ Tony van Diepen, a member of the Dutch 4x400m team who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, also ran a fine leg and put Bol comfortably within striking range on the final leg.
Belgium’s Helene Ponette ran a resolute final leg up front as Bol tracked her in second. Then, on the final back straight, Bol made her move, gliding past and away for gold in 3:15.63. It is her tenth European title indoors and outdoors.
Ponette dug in for silver for Belgium (Julien Watrin, Vervaet, Christian Iguacel, Ponette) in 3:16.19 and Great Britain (Alastair Chalmers, Newman, Joshua Faulds, Lina Nielsen) were just 0.30 further back for bronze.
