Eveline Saalberg (; born 30 July 1998) is a Dutch sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres.
As part of the Dutch women's and mixed 4 × 400 metres relay team, she won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships, three silver medals at the World Championships (outdoor and indoor), and four gold medals at the European Championships (outdoor and indoor). Individually, she won two gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal at the Dutch Championships (outdoor and indoor).
Early life Eveline Saalberg was born on 30 July 1998 in Arnhem in the Netherlands.
At the age of eight, she started competing in athletics and became a member of the club GVAC in Veldhoven."‘Ik weet dat de zenuwen mij helpen’" (in Dutch), Veldhovens Weekblad, 11 September 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2023. In the youth categories she competed in, she won several medals at Dutch junior championships.
During her student days, Saalberg distinguished herself by becoming a multiple Dutch student champion. She combined all this with a board year as chair of the Student Athletics Association MSAV Uros.
Senior career 2019
Saalberg experienced her breakthrough at the 2019 Dutch Athletics Championships in The Hague in July. Against expectations, she won the title in the 400 m hurdles there. She broke the minute barrier for the first time with a time of 58.86 s. Afterwards, she stated that on a training holiday in South Tyrol, she could fully focus on the technique of hurdling. In the autumn of 2019, Saalberg joined the training group of athletics coach Laurent Meuwly to train at the National Sports Centre Papendal alongside Eva Hovenkamp and Femke Bol.
2020
At the Dutch Indoor Championships in February 2020, Saalberg won the bronze medal in the 400 m at 53.65 s. At the Dutch Championships in August, she won the silver medal in the 400 m at 54.16 s.
2021
In May 2021, Saalberg competed at the World Athletics Relays as a member of the Netherlands team in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay and mixed 4 × 400 metres relay. In the women's relay, she ran in the heats, where the Netherlands finished fourth in the final. In the mixed relay, she ran in the final, where the Netherlands finished eighth.
2022 At the World Indoor Championships in March 2022, Saalberg competed in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, and the Netherlands won the silver medal.
In July, she competed at the World Championships. In the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, she ran in the heats, and the Netherlands won the silver medal in the final. In the women's 400 metres, she ran 52.59 s in the heats and did not advance to the semifinals.
In August, she competed at the European Championships. In the women's 400 metres, she ran 51.81 s in the heats to advance to the semifinals."European Championships Munich 2022 – Women's 400m – Round 1 – Results Summary", European Athletics, 15 August 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024. She ran 52.45 s in the semifinals and did not advance to the final. In the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, she ran in the final, and the Netherlands won the gold medal."Athletics – Women's 4 x 400m Relay – Final – Results", European Athletics, 21 August 2022. Archived 21 August 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
2023
At the European Indoor Championships in March 2023, Saalberg ran in the final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, where the Netherlands won the gold medal.
In August, she competed at the World Championships. She ran in the heats and final of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, where the Netherlands won the gold medal.
2024
Saalberg competed at the World Indoor Championships in March 2024. She ran in the heats of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, and the Netherlands won the gold medal in the final.
In May, she competed at the World Relays. She ran in the heats and repechage rounds of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay.
In June, she competed at the European Championships. She ran in the heats of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, and the Netherlands won the gold medal in the final.
In August, she competed at the Olympic Games. She ran in the heats of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, and the Netherlands won the silver medal in the final.
2025
Saalberg competed at the European Indoor Championships in March 2025. She ran in the final of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, and the Netherlands won the gold medal. In the women's 400 metres, she ran 52.93 s in the heats and did not advance to the semifinals.
In September, she competed at the World Championships. She ran in the heats of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, and the Netherlands won the silver medal in the final. In the women's 400 metres, she ran 51.73 s in the heats and did not advance to the semifinals. In the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, she ran in the heats and final, where the Netherlands won the bronze medal.
2026 In August at the European Championships, Saalberg was a member of the Netherlands team which won the gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay.
Personal bests Information from her World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
Individual events Type Event Location Date Outdoor 100 metres 11.80 Oordegem, Belgium 27 May 2023 150 metres 18.44 Lisse, Netherlands 18 May 2019 200 metres 23.39 La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland 14 August 2021 300 metres 37.09 Leuven, Belgium 7 August 2021 400 metres 50.84 Birmingham, United Kingdom 13 August 2026 600 metres 1:26.46 Pliezhausen, Germany 18 May 2025 800 metres 2:00.30 Warsaw, Poland 7 June 2026 400 metres hurdles 58.86 The Hague, Netherlands 27 July 2019 Indoor 60 metres 7.75 Apeldoorn, Netherlands 28 January 2023 200 metres short track 24.03 Metz, France 3 February 2024 400 metres short track 52.21 Apeldoorn, Netherlands 22 February 2026 800 metres short track 2:05.25 Ostrava, Czech Republic 3 February 2026
Season's bests Year 200 m 200 m 400 m 400 m 800 m 800 m 2013 26.25 – – – – – 2014 – – – 58.10 – – 2015 – – 60.59 – – – 2016 – 26.97 – 60.16 – – 2017 24.92 25.92 59.20 58.80 – – 2018 24.88 – 56.64 58.74 – – 2019 24.32 24.81 55.73 56.34 – – 2020 – – 54.01 53.65 – – 2021 23.39 24.48 52.19 53.79 – – 2022 23.52 24.18 51.22 52.54 – – 2023 23.56 24.17 52.08 53.06 – – 2024 23.47 24.03 50.95 52.97 – – 2025 – – 51.29 52.80 2:02.97 2:07.25 2026 50.84 52.21 2:00.30 2:05.25 Key:
Team events TypeEventTime (m:s)LocationDateRecordNotesOutdoor4 × 400 m relay women3:20.18Tokyo, Japan21 September 2025Teamed with Lieke Klaver, Lisanne de Witte, and Femke Bol. Saalberg's split time for the first leg was 51.56 seconds."Results". media.aws.iaaf.org. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.4 × 400 m relay mixed3:11.11Tokyo, Japan13 September 2025Teamed with Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, and Jonas Phijffers. Saalberg's split time for the anchor leg was 50.84 seconds."Results". media.aws.iaaf.org. 13 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.Indoor4 × 400 m relay short track women3:25.66 Istanbul, Turkey5 March 2023Teamed with Lieke Klaver, Cathelijn Peeters, and Femke Bol. Saalberg's split time for the second leg was 52.27 seconds."Results Book European Athletics Indoor Championships Istanbul 2023", European Athletics, 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.4 × 400 m relay short track mixed3:15.63 Apeldoorn, Netherlands6 March 2025 Teamed with Nick Smidt, Tony van Diepen, and Femke Bol. Saalberg's split time for the second leg was 52.94 seconds."4x400m Relay Mixed". live.european-athletics.com. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
Competition results Information from her World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
International competitions 2021 World Relays Chorzów, Poland 4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:28.40 8th 4 × 400 m mixed 3:21.02 2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:28.57 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 2nd 4 × 400 m mixed 3:12.63 32nd (h) 400 m 52.59European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany 19th (sf) 400 m 52.45 1st4 × 400 m relay3:20.87 2023 European Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:25.66 European Games Chorzów, Poland 14th 4 × 400 m mixed 3:20.40 European Team Championships First Division World Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:20.72 2024World Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgow, United Kingdom1st4 × 400 m relay3:27.70World RelaysNassau, The Bahamas3rd (rep)4 × 400 m relay3:27.45European ChampionshipsRome, Italy1st4 × 400 m relay3:25.99Olympic GamesParis, France2nd4 × 400 m relay3:25.032025European Indoor ChampionshipsApeldoorn, Netherlands1st4 × 400 m mixed3:15.63 18th (h)400 m52.93European Team Championships First DivisionMadrid, Spain15th800 m2:05.76World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan2nd4 × 400 m mixed3:11.1130th (h)400 m51.733rd4 × 400 m relay3:20.182026World Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, Poland2nd4 × 400 m relay3:26.00European ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom13th (sf)400 m50.841st4 × 400 m relay3:21.10(51.1 split)
National championships 2013 Dutch U18 Championships Eindhoven 6th in semifinal 100 m 12.88 5th in heats 200 m 26.25 2014 Dutch U18 Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 2nd 400 m 58.10 2015 Dutch U18 Championships Breda 7th in semifinal 400 m 60.62 2017 Dutch U20/U18 Championships, U20 Events Vught 3rd 200 m 24.92 Dutch Championships Utrecht 3rd in semifinal 200 m 25.17 2018 Dutch Championships Utrecht 3rd in semifinal 200 m 24.88 2019 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 5th 200 m 24.91 Dutch Championships The Hague 1st 400 m hurdles 58.86 2020 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 3rd 400 m 53.65 Dutch Championships Utrecht 2nd 400 m 54.16 2021 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 4th 400 m 53.79 Dutch Championships Breda 7th 400 m 53.91 2022 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 4th 400 m 52.69 Dutch Championships Apeldoorn 6th 200 m 23.76 2023 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 5th 400 m 53.20 Dutch Championships Breda 1st 400 m 52.20 2024 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 4th 400 m 53.51 Dutch Championships Hengelo 2nd 400 m 52.46 2025 Dutch Championships Hengelo 2nd 400 m 51.69 2026 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 3rd 400 m 52.26
Notes
References
External links
Eveline Saalberg at Atletiek.nl (archived) Eveline Saalberg at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (archived)