Dutch sprinter
Liemarvin Bonevacia (born 5 April 1989)[1] is a Dutch sprinter specialising in the 400 metres. He won bronze medals in the event at the 2016 European Athletics Championships, and the 2017 and 2021 European Indoor Championships. Bonevacia earned also five major medals for the 4 × 400 m relays, either men's or mixed, including silver medal in the men's relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He is the Dutch record holder for the outdoor and indoor 400 m, and won 12 individual national titles (200 m, 400 m). Bonevacia was born in Willemstad (Curaçao island), Netherlands Antilles.
Career
As Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in 2010 Curaçao became constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.Thus, qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, Liemarvin Bonevacia could choose to represent the Netherlands or participate independently under the Olympic flag. He was one of four people to participate in the Games as an 'Independent Olympic Athlete'.[1][2] He competed in the men's 400 metres and was eliminated in the semifinals, when he injured his right hamstring and finished last.[3][4]
Bonevacia has represented Netherlands since 2013.
On 27 July 2014, during Dutch Championships, he broke Arjen Visserman's Dutch 400 m record dating back to 1986 with a time of 45.41 seconds.
Bonevacia lowered his own national record with a 44.72 clocking in the heats at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics held in Beijing, China.[5]
He competed for the Netherlands at the 2016 Rio Olympics, in the 400 m and men's 4 x 100 m relay, reaching the semifinals in his individual event.[3]
Bonevacia won bronze medals in the 400 m at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, and at the 2017 and 2021 European Indoor Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia and Toruń, Poland, respectively.[1]
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