Athletics - World Athletics Championship - 4x400m Relay Mixed - National Athletics Centre, Budapest, Hungary - August 19, 2023 Alexis Holmes of the U.S. and Netherlands' Femke Bol and Isaya Klein Ikkink in action during the final REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The United States won a dramatic World Championship gold with a world record in the mixed 4x400 metres relay on Saturday as Femke Bol fell five metres from the line just as it looked as if she was going to bring the Netherlands home for gold.
The Dutch ran a brilliant race but U.S. anchor Alexis Holmes refused to let Bol escape and was within inches of her before Bol crashed to the track, dropping the baton. The winning time of 3:08.80 broke the Americans' own world record set in the first running of the event in 2019.
