Dutch star storms to 49.17 at World Indoor Champs in Glasgow as training partner Lieke Klaver finishes runner-up and Britains Laviai Nielsen runs PB in fourth

It was dubbed Scotlands Super Saturday but it wasnt all about the British heroes like Josh Kerr and Molly Caudery. Femke Bol saved her best for the womens 400m final at these World Indoor Championships and improved her world record to 49.17 seconds.

It was a performance that oozed controlled power and which must surely make her 400m hurdles rivals a little twitchy ahead of this Olympic summer. The 24-year-old from the Netherlands has clearly wintered well and is surely on course to bring her 400m hurdles best and European record of 51.45 down later this year.

It was amazing. It was such a strong race, I knew I had to go out fast, she said. My coach said to me: You can run faster but to be honest I just wanted to win. This is great because Ive not done hurdles for four weeks and it gives me confidence.

Bol first broke the world indoor 400m record when she took down Jarmila Kratochvilovas 1982 mark of 49.59 last year with 49.26. She ran 49.24 at the Dutch Championships last month and has now gone even quicker.

It was a case of double Dutch in Glasgow, too, as Bol was chased home by training partner Lieke Klaver, who clocked 50.16 ahead of Alexis Holmes of the United States, who ran a PB of 50.24 in third.

Laviai Nielsen of Britain excelled as well with a PB of 50.89 in fourth. The British champions previous best was 51.11 but this latest run puts her No.5 on the UK all-time rankings.

Bol flew through 200m in 23.61 with Klaver boldly just five hundredths of a second behind. At 300m Bol clocked 36.06 and was beginning to pull away, extending her lead in the home straight.

It means a lot to get this medal, Klaver said. I had planned it in my head but you still have to deliver. Ive just finished my studies and now to win this silver is great. I love indoors.

Nielsen said: Ive never been in a world record race before, apart from relays. It is so fast, I couldnt believe how close I was to them at the break. I am so proud of the way I ran that race. I knew from lane two that everyone would be coming in and I wanted to hold that inside line.

I did so well to try and stay as close as I could with them. Before this champs I had never raced Femke Bol, although my sister has over the hurdles. Its just amazing to be in the mix with a world-class athlete like that. She is an incredible, incredible athlete and to only finish a few places behind bodes really well for my summer.

I am very hungry now. I think it is three times I have finished fourth but that is the least painful fourth place. I dont think I could have run faster than that. I gave it everything.

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