Netherlands' Femke Bol competes to win the women's 400m Final A race during the "Hauts de France" indoor athletics meeting in Lievin, on Feb 15, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

THE HAGUE - Femke Bol broke a 40-year-old world indoor record in the women's 400 meters during the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Bol rushed to a new world record of 49.26 seconds. The previous record was held by former Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova, who ran 49.59 on March 7, 1982.

Bol said the support of the home crowd helped her achieve the record. "I heard the audience; really great," she told Dutch national broadcaster NOS. "I know it is a fast track, but I didn't expect this time. It was a perfect race."

Her friend and compatriot Lieke Klaver finished second in 50.34, while Cathelijn Peeters ended third in 53.11.

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Bol holds the European title in the 400 meters indoor and outdoor. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics she captured a bronze medal in the 400 hurdles, behind Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad from the United States.