World Athletics Indoor Championships: Laviai Nielsen looking to use run behind Femke Bol as fuel for the future

Laviai Nielsen vowed to use the experience of racing against record breaker Femke Bol at the World Athletics Indoor Championships as fuel for her own ambitions.

It was a Dutch one-two on the podium, as Bol took gold ahead of compatriot Lieke Klaver with American Alexis Holmes winning bronze, but Nielsen revealed she was taking plenty of positives despite narrowly missing out on a first individual world medal.

“I have never been in a world-record race before,” she said. “It was so fast, I couldn’t believe how close I was to them at the break.

“I am so proud of how I ran that race. I knew from lane two, everyone would be coming in and I just wanted to hold that inside line. There was a battle at the break but I did so well to just try and stay.

“Before the championship, I had actually never raced Femke Bol but it is just amazing to be amongst the mix of a world-class athlete like that. She is an incredible athlete and to finish only a few places behind her bodes really well.

“I am very hungry now. I think that’s the third time I have finished in fourth place but that is the least painful as I honestly don’t think I could have run faster than that, I left everything out there.”