Olympic 200m finalist Kim Gevaert beat the 25-year-old Belgian 400m record on Sunday (8 May) in Ghent, Belgium, during a club competition.

The 26-year-old who retained her European Indoor 60m title last winter, and was the European outdoor 100m and 200m silver medallist in 2002, was running for her club, Vilvoorde Atletiek Club, when she ran the 400m in 51.45 seconds, which is the best by a European so far this year.

The previous national record was held by Rosine Wallez with 52.00 and was set during the Moscow Olympics in 1980!

Gevaert who had a previous personal best for the 400m of 52.16, when winning a race in Nivelles on 9 May 2004, was as usual starting her outdoor season over 400m, as part of her preparations for the 200m, and confirmed she still has no serious ambitions at the longest sprint.

Her main aim this year is to run in three finals at the World Championships in Helsinki (100m, 200m and 4 x 100m). Gevaert who is also the 2004 World Indoor silver medallist at the 60m, confirmed that the 400m was too hard for her, and that there was more chance that she would take up the Long Jump than ever compete at 400m. 

However, with such promise perhaps her coach Rudi Diels might begin to have other ideas for her in later years?

Philippe VandeWeyer for the IAAF