Paris 2024 athletics: Netherlands captures gold medal in mixed 4 x 400m relay with late push

With a strong final leg, the Netherlands overtook the United States in the athletics mixed 4 x 400m relay at Paris 2024 to capture gold with a time of 3:07.43. The USA took silver with a time of 3:07.74, followed by Great Britain which claimed bronze with a time of 3:08.01.

Great Britain got the first hand-off of the relay after a strong start, but the Americans quickly took over during the second leg, closely followed by the Netherlands. Team USA created separation, being the first nation to complete a hand-off entering the third leg, and led entering the final leg, trailed by Belgium.

Despite what appeared to be a large lead for the Americans, Femke Bol of the Netherlands came flying back from fourth place to overtake Shamier Little down the stretch and steal the gold medal in dramatic fashion. Bol’s final-leg of 47.93s was more than a second faster than Brown's time of 49.14s. Overall, the United States finished just 0.177 behind the gold-medal winners after winning bronze in this event at Tokyo 2020, posting a time of 3:10.22.

At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Bol fell metres from the finish line in the mixed 4 x 400m relay final in a heartbreaking loss for the Netherlands. Now, on the sport's biggest stage, she ran a rapid anchor lap to win gold at the Games.

Athletics: Mixed 4 x 400m relay podium

Gold: Netherlands — Eugene Omalla, Femke Bol**, Lieke Klaver** and Isaya Klein Ikkink

Silver: United States — Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little**, Vernon Norwood** and Kaylyn Brown

Bronze: Great Britain — Samuel Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson and Amber Anning