Who is Lieke Klaver? Meet the Dutch track & field olympian looking to run away with 400m gold medal for Netherlands
LIEKE KLAVER won a gold medal for the Netherlands at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which excited her hundreds of thousands of fans on social media.
But who is runner famous both for relay and for her Instagram and how did she get into sports?
Who is Lieke Klaver?
Lieke is a Dutch runner who made her international debut at just 15.
Although she had no interest in athletics when she was young, until her mum suggested it.
She said: "I really wanted to dance but my mother thought, ‘You are always running with your brother so you two can take up athletics.'"
Lieke has a huge social media presence, boasting 873k followers on Instagram.
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On Instagram, she posts training videos and photo-shoots with sponsors which include the luxury watch company Omega.
She studied at HAN University of Applied Sciences, but refused to allow studying to get in the way of her athletic ambitions.
What is Lieke Klaver's running record?
Lieke has been running since the age of 9, but she first competed internationally at the age of 15.
She went on to win gold at the European Indoor Championships in 2021 and 2023 in the 4x400m relay.
In 2022, Lieke won gold for the same sport at the European Championships.
Although she failed to win a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she went on to win big in Paris.
Lieke and her team won a gold medal for the Netherlands in the mixed 4 x 400m relay at the Paris 2024 Games.
When is Lieke Klaver dating?
The track star is dating Terrence Agard, a fellow Track and Field athlete.
Terrence won a silver medal for the Netherlands in 2020 and, like Lieke, has been competing since he was under 17.
He had a brief pause in his career, when a shock car crash in 2015 left him with a broken vertebra in his neck.
After a lengthy recovery, Terrence returned to the track in 2016.
He is a big cheerleader for his partner, often cheering her own at races.
What's happening today at The Games?
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY
TODAY'S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
More medals to be won in the velodrome with Emma Finucane eyeing gold in the women’s keirin (4.15pm) while Ethan Hayter goes in the men’s omnium (4pm).
The 3m men’s springboard diving final could be a chance for Jack Laugher to claim a fifth Olympic medal (2pm).
World champ and Tokyo silver medallist Bradly Sinden plus London and Rio gold star Jade Jones both go in the taekwondo (from 9.55am).
BRITS TO WATCH
The heptathlon begins at 9am with Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jade O’Dowda taking on the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m today.
The 4x100m men’s and women’s relays start with round one this morning (from 10.10am).
And Georgia Hall and Charley Hull have their second round at the golf (from 8am),
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
The men’s US basketball team face Serbia at 8pm hoping to book their place in the final.
The all-conquering Netherlands take on Germany for men’s hockey gold (6pm).
And there will be a host of athletics superstars in the finals on the track, with the men’s 200m (Noah Lyles) and men’s 110m hurdles (Grant Holloway) golds all up for grabs this evening from 7pm.
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
Still time to get some beach volleyball action with the semi-finals from 4pm right by the Eiffel Tower.
Alternatively, the women’s handball semis feature Sweden vs France (3.30pm) and Norway vs Denmark (8.30pm).
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.