Athletics: Femke Bol breaks world indoor 400m record with 49.24 in Dutch Indoor Nationals

Femke Bol broke her record at the Dutch Indoor Championships here, returning to the scene of her historic 49.26 run 12 months ago to further improve the world indoor 400m record to 49.24 and retain her national title here on Sunday.

After opening her season with 49.69 in Metz at the start of this month, the 23-year-old Bol improved to 49.63 in Lievin and then eased to a heat win in 50.55 in Apeldoorn on Saturday, looking like she still had plenty to give. She proved that was the case on Sunday, cruising through 200m in the lead and then powering over the finish line in 49.24 to dip under 50 seconds indoors for the sixth time of her career so far, the World Athletics said in a report on its website on Sunday.

She was followed by Lieke Klaver, who set a PB of 50.10 -- a time that moves her to ninth on the world indoor all-time list. “I never get used to it, especially with all these people cheering on home soil,” Bol said in her trackside interview. “It’s a dream come true to run another world record and it’s wonderful to have all these Dutch fans enjoying the most beautiful sport in the world.”

The world 400m hurdles champion will now head to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in the hunt for her first world indoor title.