Two of the Netherlands' premier runners, Sifan Hassan and Femke Bol experienced unexpected stumbles just short of clinching gold medals on the opening day of the world championships. In an ironic turn of events, both athletes, renowned for their speed, found themselves on the ground, transforming a promising day for the Dutch into one of disappointment.
Bol faced a heart-wrenching moment on a humid Saturday night in Hungary, as she tripped and fell, moments away from victory. “I was feeling great, and then suddenly, I wasn't,” said a dismayed Bol. While contending with America's Alexis Holmes, she tripped and her baton flew across the finish line — a stark contrast to her fate. The unfortunate stumble resulted in a “DNF” for the Netherlands in the mixed 4x400 meter relay, with the gold going to the Americans.
Earlier, Hassan was close to seizing her first medal when she made a bold move during the final lap of the women's 10,000. She overtook Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, only to trip near the finish line. Despite being such decorated athletes, with 10 combined medals in global events over the past eight years, both ended up with nothing on the opening night.
Reminiscing the unfortunate incident, Hassan mentioned, “I was in control. However, towards the last 20 meters, there was some contact, causing me to lose balance and fall.” A still shaken Bol, bearing fresh facial scrapes, recounted her fall, attributing it to a build-up of lactic acid and perhaps contact with another runner.
Nevertheless, both athletes are looking ahead. Hassan aims to replicate her impressive triple medal-winning performance from a previous Olympics, while Bol is recognized as one of the top 400-meter hurdlers globally. With her prime competitor, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, out due to an injury, Bol is now a strong favorite.
Bol is set to recover from the ordeal in two days, with her hurdles heats scheduled for Monday. Hassan, on the other hand, has a race on Sunday, which coincidentally is Hungary's major national holiday, St. Stephen's Day.
Reflecting on the bittersweet day for the Netherlands, Hassan quipped, “Maybe it’s National Fall-Down Day.”
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