Yvonne Hak

Yvonne Hak
	Hak at the 2010 European Championships
Personal information
Nationality	Dutch
Born	30 June 1986 (age 37); Alkmaar, Netherlands
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Netherlands
European Championships

Yvonne Hak (Dutch pronunciation:

middle-distance runner, who specialises in the 800 metres. She won gold at the 2010 European Athletics Championships

Early life

She took part in the under-23 race at the

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