Yvonne Hak

Yvonne Hak

Personal information

Nationality

Dutch

Born

30 June 1986 (age 37)
Alkmaar, Netherlands

Medal record

Yvonne Hak (Dutch pronunciation: [iˈvɔnə ɦɑk]; born 30 June 1986) is a Dutch middle-distance runner, who specialises in the 800 metres. She won gold at the 2010 European Athletics Championships.

Early life

Yvonne Hak was born on 30 June 1986 in Alkmaar in the Netherlands.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1] 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 behind Mariya Savinova, 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".^[2] Her new best also raised her to number three on the Dutch all-time lists behind Ellen van Langen and Stella Jongmans.