August 9th
2024
on
10:46 am

Norway without a chance in the final: – Hope for more

Without Henriette Jæger on the team, it was tough for the Norwegian 4×400 meter relay team.

Norway finished sixth in the heat. The time was 03.28.61. That was two and a half seconds off the Norwegian record set at the EC. That was also without Jæger on the team.

– It’s a little bit behind what we expected. But it’s still a good time, Astri Lakeri Ertzgaard told NRK after the relay.

Norway were without Jæger as the 21-year-old ran in the 400m final on Friday night.

With strong competitors like the United States and Great Britain, on paper it looked like a tough game for the Norwegian team. And the US flew as expected. But Norway ended up being defensive.

There was no optimal exchange between Josefine Tomine Eriksen and Astri Lakeri Ertzgaard after the first leg.

– We ended up a little behind. There was a bit of a hitch in the exchange, said NRK expert Vebjørn Rodal after the first exchange.

It looked like things were looking up for Norway when Amalie Iuel crashed out in the final stages.

– We are 60-70 meters apart, Rodal said as the relay race was nearing its end.

Amalie Iuel made a late chase, but it didn’t last long. Norway is way behind the level in the EC.

– We probably expected a little bit better, but they made a heroic effort, Unn Merete Lie Jæger, from the Norwegian support apparatus, told NRK after the race.

He is supported by sports manager Erlend Slokvik.

– It’s close to Norway’s old record, but we expected more, Slokvik told NRK.

The Norwegian team had previously set a goal to break the Nordic record. But they fell just three seconds short of that goal. On the other hand, if they had achieved their goal, they would have also reached the Olympic final. Canada was the last team to advance to the final with a time of 3:25.77.

– I think what we achieved with the relay team this year was very cool and impressive, said Iuel.