In what is being termed as a ‘messy start‘ to the women’s 400m semifinals, Lieke Klaver faced an athlete’s worst horrors on the Olympic stage. Lined up on the mark, the Dutchwoman remained crouched low after the gunfire, leading to the referee flashing the yellow card to her face. Perhaps the increased tensions gave her the jitters, and Klaver, who was a staunch competitor, did not reach the qualification standard, finishing fourth in the race.

Heartbroken, she was weeping after a few minutes of drama had crumbled her victory plans. However, what is currently garnering appreciation is how a reporter refrains from trying to put a mic before her in such trying times. For not trying to pull out ‘quotes’ or ‘statements’ from the athlete who appears crestfallen, the Dutch journalist Jeroen Stekelenburg is being hailed on X. Notably, he leaves her alone and upholds a humane spirit.

Sadly, her Tokyo upset continued, and she got edged out in the semis too. And after her upset, Klaver walked past the line of reporters. However, setting a great example, the reporter did not engulf her with questions. In her overwhelming moment, it seems she was given the needed space.

To the world, it looked like a fumble from Lieke Klaver’s end. But what did it seem like to her? Well, she was clearly left befuddled at the start. Moreover, this pulled her back from building momentum thereafter. She said, “I thought the starter waited too long [before the subsequently aborted start]. But I don’t know what went wrong. The start was poor, the middle part was poor, and the final stretch was poor. I just don’t know and want to cry with my coaches.” 

Lieke Klaver’s Paris campaign was a mixed bag

Klaver indeed had a good start to her Paris Olympics stint. As part of the 4x400m mixed relay with Femke Bol, Eugene Omalla, and Isaya Klein Ikkink, she bagged a gold medal in 3:07.43. However, while she was on the tracks for her individual title yesterday, the members of her club, SAV Atletiek, were watching her on a screen in the clubhouse. But as she froze at the start, the enthusiasm among them dipped. From cheers, it quickly shifted to, “She won’t be disqualified, will she? Luckily, it was just a warning.

Clocking in at 50.44 seconds, Klaver then came in fourth in her semifinal round. But there was still hope for her to qualify in the top 8 based on her timing. However, slated 10th by her time at the end of all semifinal rounds, she could make it past the stage. Moreover, there were some who were even surprised that she did not get completely disqualified for her mistake. One of the fans noted how her error caused a ‘huge adrenaline release and mental hurdle for the rest of the runners.’

Indeed, this seemed to be true. Rhasidat Adeleke, who ran in the same semi-final round as Klaver, opined that the topsy-turvy start could have nearly toppled her execution. She said, “The first time they held was really long, and I think I was ready to go again. But when we went again, I just felt like I was thinking about it too much and didn’t execute my first 200m like I should’ve. And I also think I panicked a little, which made me break form pretty early.” 

But, hopefully, not all is lost. Klaver still has the opportunity to medal again in Paris. On August 9, she enters the women’s 4x400m relay heats. Having clinched gold in it at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the Netherlands team is a top challenger. But can Klaver redeem herself with a victory? Let us know what you think.