Norway’s relay girls ready for the Olympics after a super race in the World Cup: – What happened just now?

Josefine Tomine Eriksen, Amalie Iuel, Lakeri Ertzgaard and Henriette Jæger lay in a cluster on the track after the finish and howled, hugged and cheered uncontrollably that the goal had been reached. Now it’s time for Paris and the Olympics this summer.

The four ran in a time of 3:26.89, which held second place in the heat – behind the favorite USA, which was clocked in at 3:24.76.

The time was also a crushing Norwegian record for the distance.

The two best from each of the four heats went to the final – and get a ticket to the Paris Olympics with the purchase.

– What happened just now? Jæger wrote in an update on Instagram after the feat.

Intense duel

It was too many unknown Eriksen who set the tone when she ensured that the Norwegian team was barely ahead of the USA at the first change.

From there onwards, as expected, the USA took over the lead, while Norway and Belgium got a gap to the others in the field. It was a duel that would last all the way to the finish line.

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Iuel showed that she can run fast even without hurdles and was in second place when the baton was handed over to Ertzgaard – with Belgium close behind.

Ertzgaard was followed by his Belgian competitor until the last change – and thus the stage was set for an intense duel in the last 400 metres.

Jæger delivered a phantom run and kept the Belgian girl the necessary meter behind her. When she crossed the finish line, she ran straight into the arms of Eriksen, Iuel and Ertzgaard and was able to let loose the cheers.

New Norwegian record

Norway’s time was the fifth best of the eight who qualified for the final on the night of Sunday. Ireland, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Canada and France also secured Olympic tickets in the trial heats. Ireland was fastest of all, with 3.24.38.

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The previous Norwegian record was set at Bislett in 2022 and was 3.28.58. At that time, Iuel and Ertzgaard also ran – together with Elisabeth Slettum and Line Kloster.

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The Norwegian team in the Bahamas has won court three in the final, which starts on the night of Monday Norwegian time.

It will be the third time Norway has a relay team in athletics at an Olympics, but the first time on the women’s side. At the same time, Norway has had a relay team in the WC twice, both times in the 4×400 meters for women, in 1991 and in 2022.

The International Athletics Federation’s relay event (World Athletics Relays) in the Bahamas functions in WC years as qualification for the WC, and this year as qualification for the Olympics.