Championship record SMASHED! 🤯 Women's 400m final | Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships
Sun still very much out here in Bergen as we tick over towards six o'clock local time and the final
of the women's 400 meters. One of the most hotly anticipated races Anna Prieto
personal best at 52.27 in the semi-final. Here is Yemi Mary John the defending champion having
narrowly beaten this woman two years ago in Espoo. Of course she has the 200 final to come later.
Henrietta Jaeger big Norwegian hopes on her.
Merte van der Schulte who's had some fantastic experience
running the world indoors, Europeans and Olympic Games. 52 seconds PB in the semi-final. Alex Doe
massive margin of her best in that semi 51.67 for the Frenchwoman. Poppy Malik who won the GB trials
51.9 seconds and a third Brit in this is Rebecca Grieve a medley relay winner at European under 18
level three years ago and Elna Vesta of Sweden more than two seconds improvement this year for her.
Henrietta Jaeger with a personal best of 49.62 coming into these championships seventh in the
world this year. Only Femke Boll faster in Europe but she has more races in her legs the 200 semis
earlier. I'm sure she won't be thinking at all about that final to come. She'll be focused on
this prize. Vesta, Grieve, Malik, Doe, van der Schulte, Jaeger, John and Prieto the final of the women's 400 meters.
Seven different nations have won this title in the last seven editions
and Jaeger could be about to make that eight but Yemi, Mary, John trying to retain this crown. They
were oh so close in the semi-final together and John on the outside there in the purple
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Jaeger very much sees her to her right in her sights
and pushing hard now. Keeley Hodgkinson was third behind them but it was all mighty close between
the medalists and Jaeger now is she gonna do this? John doesn't have a response here.
The world under 20 champion gonna be beaten by the Norwegian on home soil.
Jaeger takes the gold. 49.74 to smash a championship record that had been held
for 20 years. Olga Zaitseva in 2005 in Erfurt. What an extraordinary performance from such a
talented athlete and such a fighter. Seems to me like she's a bit of a reserved athlete but on the
track is where she does her talking and she's still of course now got a chance to win 200 meter
medal at least in a few hours time. Yemi, Mary, John does get a personal best of 50-50. That's
important for her a world championship qualifying time. Alex Doe, goodness me, she's improved her
personal best from 52-12 to 50-94 at these championships and she is clear in bronze.
Well we've spoken about that 200 meters that's to come. If she can replicate the first 200 meters
of this race, Henrietta Jaeger, she flew out the blocks and was in very little time already up on
the shoulder of Yemi, Mary, John. You can see it there. I'll talk about Doe as well. When they
had the head-on shot as they came into the bottom bench, she looks so relaxed,
holds herself really well. It's excellent form and to smash her personal best in the style that
she has done throughout the championships, exceptional. Henrietta Jaeger, what a result.
Well we always thought she'd come back and compete on home soil. After all she's achieved
this year and that's a statement victory tearing up the history books. Superb and we get to watch
her again later on this evening. What a treat. Yes that 49-62 clocking was also on home soil
at the Bislett Games but goodness me to take effectively a second off a 400 meter championship
record that has stood for so long. It was going to take a very special athlete supported by a
jubilant home crowd. Henrietta Jaeger from Yemi, Mary, John. It was the match, it was the rematch
of these championships but in the end down that home straight didn't really appear a contest.
Well they were so close weren't they in the second?