Slovakia’s Women’s 4x400m Relay Reaches World Indoor Championships Final & Breaks National Record
TORUŃ, Poland – The Slovak Republic women’s 4x400m relay team has secured a place in the final at the World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland and did so in spectacular fashion, shattering the national record in the process.
The quartet of Daniela Ledecká, Viktória Korbová, Martina Segečová, and Emma Zapletalová finished third in their heat, qualifying for the final with a time of 3:29.87. This performance not only guarantees them a shot at a medal but also establishes a new Slovakian indoor record, eclipsing the previous mark of 3:50.81 set by Andrea Holleyová, Lucia Mokrášová, Viktória Záhradníčková, and Lucia Slaničková (Vadlejch) in Bratislava on .
The new national record also surpasses the Slovakian outdoor record of 3:31.66, previously held by Silvia Šalgovičová, Alexandra Štuková, Alexandra Bezeková, and Iveta Putalová, achieved during the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam.
Ledecká led off the relay, positioning the team well from the start. “Prvýkrát v živote som išla úvodný úsek v štafete, bola som z toho trochu nesvoja, ale chcela som to babám čo najviac uľahčiť. Na úvodnej dvestovke sme boli viaceré na rovnakej úrovni. Bežalo sa mi dobre a myslím si, že ani na odovzdávke s Viki sme veľa nestratili,” Ledecká said, translated as, “It was the first time in my life I ran the opening leg of a relay, I was a little nervous, but I wanted to make it as effortless as possible for the girls. In the first 200m, several of us were at the same level. It went well, and I don’t think we lost much on the handover with Viki.” She ran the first leg in 53.01 seconds.
Korbová maintained the team’s position, handing off to Segečová, who delivered a strong performance, clocking 52.80 seconds – the second-fastest split among the Slovak runners. This set the stage for Zapletalová to bring it home.
Zapletalová, who overcame recent concerns about her fitness after withdrawing from the 400m semifinals, finished strong, overtaking Lada Vondrová of the Czech Republic before the final stretch. While not enough to secure an automatic qualifying spot, her split of 50.46 seconds was the fastest of all runners in the heat and contributed significantly to the team’s overall time and national record. “Som rada, že sa mi podarilo stiahnuť Ladu. Finišovala som, ako sa dalo. Vzhľadom na všetky okolnosti pred štartom sa mi bežalo dobre. Pobežíme ešte raz a máme národný rekord,” Zapletalová stated, translated as, “I’m glad I managed to overtake Lada. I finished as well as I could. Considering all the circumstances before the start, I ran well. We’ll run again and we have a national record.”
The final, scheduled for at 20:47 local time, will conclude the day’s events at the World Indoor Championships. This marks a significant achievement for Slovak athletics, as the nation has yet to win a medal at the World Indoor Championships.
The team’s performance represents a substantial improvement over their previous best, exceeding the old national record by a considerable margin. The depth of talent displayed by Ledecká, Korbová, Segečová, and Zapletalová suggests a promising future for Slovakian relay running. The team’s ability to overcome challenges, as evidenced by Zapletalová’s recovery and strong finish, further underscores their resilience and determination.
This qualification for the final is a historic moment for Slovak athletics, and the team will undoubtedly be aiming to make their mark on the world stage in the coming days. The nation will be watching with anticipation as they compete for a medal, hoping to add to their growing list of accomplishments.