2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships took place in one round in the Ataköy Athletics Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, on 5 March 2023. This was the twelfth time the women's 4 × 400 metres relay was contested at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. Six national teams qualified based on their outdoor results from 2022 or the team's cumulative individual 400 metres indoor results from 2023.

Women's 4 × 400 metres relay
at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships
Photo of twelve athletes with medals wearing tracksuits in their national team's colors
Medaling relay teams of Italy (silver), the Netherlands (gold), and Poland (bronze)
VenueAtaköy Athletics Arena[1]
LocationIstanbul, Turkey
Dates5 March 2023 (final)
Teams6 nations
Winning time3:25.66 min i CR NR
Medalists
gold medal    Netherlands
silver medal    Italy
bronze medal    Poland
← 2021
2025 →

The race was lead by the team of the Netherlands from the first leg onwards. The Dutch won in a championship record and national record of 3:25.66 minutes, successfully defending their 2021 title, followed by the team of Italy in a national record of 3:28.61 minutes in second place and the team of Poland in a time of 3:29.31 minutes in third place.

Background

edit

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay was introduced at the 2000 edition of the European Athletics Indoor Championships and had been contested eleven times before 2023.[2] At the start of the championships, the world and European record was 3:23.37 min set by Russia's team in 2006.[3][4] The championship record was 3:27.15 min set by the Dutch team in 2021, making them the defending champions.[3] The 2023 world leading time was 3:26.40 min set by the team of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the 2023 European leading time was 3:37.11 min set by the Hungarian national team.[5][6]

Records before the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships
Record Team Time Location Date
World record[4]   Russia 3:23.37 Glasgow, United Kingdom 28 January 2006
European record[3]
Championship record[3]   Netherlands 3:27.15 Toruń, Poland 7 March 2021
World leading[5] Arkansas Razorbacks 3:26.40 Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States 28 January 2023
European leading[6]   Hungary 3:37.11 Nyíregyháza, Hungary 28 January 2023

Qualification

edit

For the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, a maximum of six teams could participate.[7] The team of the host country was offered a place, but Turkey did not participate in this relay.[3][7] Three teams were placed based on their 2022 outdoor results in this event.[7] The remaining three teams were placed based on the team's cumulative 2023 indoor results in the 400 metres from the 2023 indoor season until 20 February 2023.[7] A final entry list with thirty-one athletes of six nations was published on 23 February 2023.[8]

Race

edit
 
Eveline Saalberg, Femke Bol, Cathelijn Peeters, and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands celebrating after winning the race

The first and final race was held on 5 March 2023 at 19:25 (UTC+3) in the evening.[3] After 200 metres, individual 400 m silver medalist Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands was in the lead, followed by individual bronze medalist Anna Kiełbasińska of Poland and Alice Mangione of Italy, until they handed their batons over to Eveline Saalberg of the Netherlands, Marika Popowicz-Drapała of Poland, and Ayomide Folorunso of Italy, who maintained the running order during the second leg.[9] Third-leg runner Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands kept her nation in the lead, but just metres before the last hand-over Anna Polinari of Italy passed Alicja Wrona-Kutrzepa of Poland.[9] In the anchor leg, individual gold medalist Femke Bol of the Netherlands, Eleonora Marchiando of Italy, and Anna Pałys of Poland ran their laps in that order.[9] The gold medal was won by the team of the Netherlands, who lead the race from the first runner onwards, breaking their championship record (CR) and national record (NR) in a time of 3:25.66 min and successfully defending their 2021 title.[3][9] Almost three seconds later, they were followed by the silver medal-winning team of Italy in a national record (NR) of 3:28.61 min and the bronze medal-winning team of Poland in a season best (SB) of 3:29.31 min.[3]

Results of the final[3]
Rank Nation Athletes Time Note
    Netherlands Lieke Klaver
Eveline Saalberg
Cathelijn Peeters
Femke Bol
3:25.66 CR NR
    Italy Alice Mangione
Ayomide Folorunso
Anna Polinari
Eleonora Marchiando
3:28.61 NR
    Poland Anna Kiełbasińska
Marika Popowicz-Drapała
Alicja Wrona-Kutrzepa
Anna Pałys
3:29.31 SB
4   Czech Republic Tereza Petržilková
Marcela Píriková
Nikola Bendová
Lada Vondrová
3:31.26 SB
5   Ireland Sophie Becker
Sharlene Mawdsley
Cliodhna Manning
Phil Healy
3:32.61 SB
6   Great Britain Hanna Kelly
Catys McAulay
Nicole Kendall
Mary Abichi
3:32.65 SB

References

edit
  1. ^ "Istanbul awarded 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships", European Athletics, 11 November 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. ^ András Szabó, "Statistics Handbook", p. 6 and p. 330, European Athletics. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "EAIC Istanbul (Türkiye) 2-5 March 2023 – 4 x 400m Relay Women" (PDF). European Athletics. 5 March 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b "All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay Short Track women", World Athletics. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Season Top Lists – Senior 2023 – 4x400 Metres Relay Short Track women – World", World Athletics. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Season Top Lists – Senior 2023 – 4x400 Metres Relay Short Track women – Europe", World Athletics. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Qualification System and Entry Standards", European Athletics, September 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Final Entries – Athletes List by event – European Athletics Indoor Championships 2023, Istanbul (TUR)", European Athletics, 23 February 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d "Netherlands win golds with a CR of 3:25.66", European Athletics/YouTube, 15 March 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
edit