By Lori Ewing
PARIS (Reuters) -Femke Bol ran a stunning last lap to lead the Netherlands to victory in the Olympic 4×400 metres mixed relay on Saturday, crossing the line in a time of three minutes 7.43 seconds.
The United States, who set a world record in the heats, took the silver medal and Britain claimed the bronze.
The victory was redemption for Bol, who fell just feet from the finish line in the anchor leg of the same race at last year’s world championships.
The 24-year-old got the baton in fourth place, and about 20 metres behind the leading Americans, but ate up the track in a spectacular 47.93 leg before passing Kaylyn Brown of the U.S. just before the line.
The Americans took the silver in 3:07.74 and the British took 2.5 seconds off the national record en route to bronze in 3:08.01.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond)
