The Dutch men’s relay failed to win a medal in the 4x400m race on Saturday. In the final in Munich, the team took fifth place. In the pole vault final, Rutger Kopelar lost bronze.
With a best time of the season (3.01.34), Liemarvin Bonevacia, Isayah Boers, Jochem Dobber and Ramsey Angela didn’t even come close to medals in the Wet Olympics.
The top three ran less than three minutes. Gold went to Great Britain in a time of 2.59.35. Belgium won the silver with a record of 2.59.49 and the bronze for France (2.59.64).
Dutch men have achieved mixed results in the last period. At the Tokyo Olympics last year, the team surprisingly won the silver, while they weren’t even in the World Cup final in Eugene last month.
“We certainly had hoped for more,” Bonifacia said in an initial response to NOS. “But that was all he was in today, although it is understandable that more is expected of us. We just have to train more hard now and then come back.”
The flea quickly fell into the pole vault
29-year-old Kupilar just missed a bronze medal in the pole vault final. He reached a height of 5.75 meters and needed two attempts. Norwegian Pal Haugen Lillefosse reached the same height, but only needed one attempt and took bronze.
The European title was Armand Duplantis, who was the only one who cruised at a height of 6 meters with 6.06 meters. The Swede added a new award to his list of honors, which also includes the Olympic and world titles. Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre took the silver with her 5.85-meter jump.
Dutch record holder Mino Flon’s performance in the final was short-lived. 28-year-old Zankanter jumped over the crossbar three times at first with a height of 5.50 meters, after which he managed to go to the dressing room. This also happened to him at the World Cup, where the starting height was 5.55 meters.
Rutger Kopelar came close to taking the bronze in the pole vault final.
Rutger Kopelar came close to taking the bronze in the pole vault final.
picture: AP
