Yvonne Hak
Encyclopedia
Yvonne Hak is a Dutch
middle-distance runner, who specialises in the 800 metres
.
She took part in the under-23 race at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships
and was 63rd overall, helping the Dutch women's team to fourth place. She won the 800 m for the Netherlands at the 2008 European Cup in Annecy
, France. She made her breakthrough into the senior ranks in 2009. At the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships she reached the semi-finals of the 800 m and then won at the 2009 European Team Championships
First League meet (where she also helped the Dutch 4×400 metres relay team to the bronze medal
.
Hak gained her first victory on the major circuit with a close win over Egle Balciunaite
, running 2:00.53, at the Golden Spike Ostrava
meeting. She managed only the bronze medal at the 2010 European Team Championships
, but greater success came at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. At the major championships in Barcelona
she ran a personal best of 1:58.85 in the 800 m to win the silver medal
, making her the first Dutch athlete to medal in the event since Gerda Kraan
in 1962 European Athletics Championships. Her first major medal was unexpected for Hak: "It was a big surprise for me. My goal was to reach the final". Her new best also raised her to number three on the Dutch all-time lists behind Ellen van Langen
and Stella Jongmans.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
middle-distance runner, who specialises in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
.
She took part in the under-23 race at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships
2006 European Cross Country Championships
The 13th European Cross Country Championships were held at San Giorgio su Legnano in Italy on 10 December 2006. Mohammed Farah took the title in the men's competition, while Tetyana Holovchenko won the women's race.-Men individual 9.95km:...
and was 63rd overall, helping the Dutch women's team to fourth place. She won the 800 m for the Netherlands at the 2008 European Cup in Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, France. She made her breakthrough into the senior ranks in 2009. At the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships she reached the semi-finals of the 800 m and then won at the 2009 European Team Championships
2009 European Team Championships
The first SPAR European Team Championships took place on 20 and 21 June 2009. The track and field athletics tournament run by European Athletics was the successor of the old European Cup competition which was held annually until 2008...
First League meet (where she also helped the Dutch 4×400 metres relay team to the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
.
Hak gained her first victory on the major circuit with a close win over Egle Balciunaite
Eglė Balčiūnaitė
Eglė Balčiūnaitė is a track and field middle distance runner who competes internationally for Lithuania.She competed in the 2008 Olympics in 800 m distance and finished 22nd. She took part in the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships in Kaunas and placed 6th in the final...
, running 2:00.53, at the Golden Spike Ostrava
Golden Spike Ostrava
Golden Spike is an annual athletics event at the Městský Stadion in Ostrava-Vítkovice, Czech Republic as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 1961.-History:...
meeting. She managed only the bronze medal at the 2010 European Team Championships
2010 European Team Championships
The second SPAR European Team Championships took place on 19 and 20 June 2010. The track and field athletics tournament run by European Athletics was the successor of the old European Cup competition which was held annually until 2008....
, but greater success came at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. At the major championships in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
she ran a personal best of 1:58.85 in the 800 m to win the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
, making her the first Dutch athlete to medal in the event since Gerda Kraan
Gerda Kraan
Gerarda Maria Kraan is a retired female middle distance runner from the Netherlands, who twice represented her native country at the Summer Olympics: 1960 and 1964 . In 1962 she won the gold medal in the women's 800 metres race at the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade.-References:...
in 1962 European Athletics Championships. Her first major medal was unexpected for Hak: "It was a big surprise for me. My goal was to reach the final". Her new best also raised her to number three on the Dutch all-time lists behind Ellen van Langen
Ellen van Langen
Ellen Gezina Maria van Langen is a former Dutch middle distance runner. Van Langen has a degree in economics at the University of Amsterdam. Before she started running, she played football....
and Stella Jongmans.
External links
- Profile at atletiekunie