An extraordinary sprint finish from Femke Bol gave the Dutch mixed 4×400 relay team the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Saturday evening.

Bol, who is also competing in the 400 metres hurdles, was in fourth place when she took over the baton but soon moved into third, then overtaking the British and US teams just ahead of the finish.

Watch the end of the race

On Friday evening there was bad news for the team when Liemarvin Bonevacia, the Dutch 400 metres record holder, had to pull out of the tournament with a hamstring industry.

Nevertheless, his replacement Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink and Bol were able to complete the distance in 3.07.43, just a fraction outside the world record set by the US on Friday. Omalla and Klein Ikkink are also now the first Dutch men to win an athletics gold medal at the Olympics.

The victory also comes a year after Bol’s late fall cost the Netherlands the world mixed relay title in Budapest.

Earlier in the day, Karolien Florijn scored a first for the Netherlands by taking the title in the women’s single sculls, dethroning defending champion Emma Twigg Elsewhere on the rowing course, the men’s eight took the silver medal behind Britain, and Simon van Dorp won bronze in the men’s single sculls.

In total, the Dutch have clinched eight medals in the rowing competition, including four golds and that is double coach Eelco Meenhorst’s target, broadcaster NOS reported.