SAINT-DENIS, France — Forget about mixed relay. This was a one-woman show.
When Dutch sprinter Femke Bol entered the final turn of the 4×400-meter mixed relay in fourth position under a downpour, a medal — let alone a victory — seemed like a difficult proposition for her orange-clad team.
That’s when Bol accelerated into another gear and proceeded to reel in the three women ahead of her.
“I keep telling people it’s just two words: It’s ‘Femke Bol,'” said Dutch leadoff man Eugene Omalla. “She’s just special. She’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent.”
Bol, whose best race is the 400 hurdles, ran the anchor lap in 47.93 seconds, and the Netherlands team of Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink and Bol won the race at the Paris Olympics on Saturday in 3 minutes, 7.43 seconds — 0.31 clear of the United States.
Bol pulled a similar surprise last year at world championships in the women’s 4×400, rallying from well behind late to earn a gold medal. That came after she tripped and fell in the home stretch of the mixed relay, where she was making up ground on the U.S.
“Just keep going — keep going,” Bol said of her…
