Womens relay title goes to the Netherlands at the World Indoor Champs while Belgium pip the United States in mens 4x400m

After setting a world record in the individual womens 400m, Femke Bol was always going to be difficult to beat in the final leg of the 4x400m. When she was given the baton in the lead, though, it looked a formality.

The Dutch athlete had to dig into win her second gold of these championships, however, as she held off Alexis Holmes of the United States to clock 3:25.07.

Bols split was 50.54, although she looked like she deliberately cruised the first 200m before striding out moreso on the final lap. Lieke Klaver, the individual 400m silver medallist, ran the fastest split of the race with 50.26 on the opening leg for the Netherlands.

With Cathelijn Peeters (51.99) and Lisanne De Witte (52.28) keeping the Netherlands in pole position, it was left to Bol to bring it home on the final leg as the United States ran 3:25.34.

Bol said: I feel so tired. But the championships are like this. These girls give me so much energy to run and especially if they give me the baton on the first place. It is such a great team, you cannot let them down. If I was alone on the track, I would probably not have enough power but I just did it for these girls.

Behind the leading duo, Great Britain won a brilliant bronze and broke the British record for the second time in one day.

In the morning heats the quartet of Lina Nielsen, Ama Pipi, Hannah Kelly and Jessie Knight had broken the 11-year-old national record with 3:26.40. Then, in the final, Laviai Nielsen (51.43), Lina Nielsen (51.58), Pipi (51.99) and Knight (51.36) combined to clock 3:26.36.

Hopefully we can now keep this momentum going until Paris, the Brits said in unison, while Knight added: I just wanted to stay as close as possible. Down the back straight I nearly went for the overtake but I tried not to get over excited because I didnt want to burn up and lose the medal. The calibre of athletes [out there], I just wanted to do the team proud and I didnt want to lose that medal.

In a quality race, Belgium ran a national record of 3:28.05 with Ireland fifth in 3:28.92.

As in the womens race, the individual 400m winner produced the goods on the anchor leg in the mens 4x400m.

Alexander Doom stalked American Christopher Bailey on the final leg before pouncing in the home straight to take a narrow and dramatic victory.

After team-mates Jonathan Sacoor (46.21), Dylan Borlée (45.67) and Christian Iguacel (45.78) had put Belgium in a good position, Doom reeled off a 44.88 split to capture the title by six hundredths of a second in 3:02.54.

The United States even put world 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles on the third leg and although he ran a solid 45.68 leg, he was unable to draw away from his rivals. This is unlikely to be the last well see of Lyles in the 4x400m either as he wants to run it in the Paris Olympics.

In third the Netherlands ran a Dutch record of 3:04.25 as Kenya also set a national record of 3:06.71 in fourth.

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