Cathelijn Peeters

Cathelijn Peeters (; born 6 November 1996) is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in hurdling and sprinting and previously competed in the combined events and hammer throw. Peeters specializes in the 400 metres hurdles and in the 400 metres. In the 4 × 400 metres relay, she is the 2023 World Champion and the 2024 World Indoor Champion with the Dutch women's team and the 2024 Olympic Champion with the Dutch mixed team.

Individually, Peeters won bronze medals at the 2023 European Games and the 2024 European Championships and five national titles at the Dutch Championships in 2020–2024. As part of the Dutch women's 4 × 400 metres relay team, she won gold medals at the 2023 European Indoor Championships, 2023 World Championships, 2024 World Indoor Championships, and 2024 European Championships and she shares the Dutch records outdoor and indoor. As part of the Dutch mixed 4 × 400 metres relay team, she won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Peeters' highest World Athletics Rankings were No. 11 in the 400 metres hurdles in 2024, No. 77 in the 400 metres in 2024, and No. 233 of women overall in 2024. With the Dutch women's 4 × 400 metres relay team, she won the Dutch Sports Team of the Year award in 2023.

Early life Cathelijn Peeters was born on 6 November 1996 in Dongen, Netherlands, where she also grew up. Her cousin Silke Peeters is also a national level hurdler.

Senior career 2015–2023

Peeters competed in the combined events until 2020 and in the hammer throw until 2021.

She set a personal best of 53.34 seconds for the 400 metres, gaining selection for the Dutch relay team at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. During the heats of the women's 4 × 400 m relay Peeters dropped the baton, causing the team to be eliminated.

She was a gold medallist in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships, helping break the Dutch record and championship record with a time of 3:25.66 minutes alongside Femke Bol, Lieke Klaver and Eveline Saalberg. On 27 August 2023, the Dutch team continued the success with a gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Peeters won the Dutch Sports Team of the Year award with the Dutch women's 4 × 400 metres relay team in 2023.

2024

On 3 February, she won the 400 m short track in 52.51 s at the IFAM Indoor Meeting in Ghent, Belgium. On 26 May, she won the 400 m hurdles in a new personal best time of 54.32 s at the IFAM Outdoor Meeting in Brussels, Belgium. In the women's 4 × 400 m relay, she won a gold medal with Klaver, De Witte, and Bol in 3:22.39 min, where she ran the second leg in a split time of 50.96 s.

Personal bests Information from her World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted. Teamed with Lieke Klaver, Lisanne de Witte and Femke Bol. Third national team of all time. Teamed with Lieke Klaver, Lisanne de Witte, and Femke Bol. Peeters' split time for the second leg was 51.99 s.

Competition results Information from her World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Key:

International competitions

Circuit performances

Wins and titles World Athletics Continental Tour 400 metres hurdles wins, times (in seconds) specified in parentheses: 2024 (2): Brussels International Flanders Athletics Meeting Outdoor (54.32), Ostrava Golden Spike (54.31)

World Athletics Indoor Tour 400 metres short track wins, times (in seconds) specified in parentheses: 2024 (1): Ghent International Flanders Athletics Meeting Indoor (52.59 )

National championships 2017 Dutch Championships Utrecht 6th in heats 400 m hurdles 1:07.60 2018 Dutch Indoor Combined Events Championships Apeldoorn 9th Pentathlon 3220 pts Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 5th in heats 400 m 60.46 2019 Dutch Indoor Combined Events Championships Apeldoorn 13th Pentathlon 3447 pts Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 4th in heats 400 m 58.42 Dutch Championships The Hague 3rd 400 m hurdles 59.80 2020 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 3rd in heats 400 m 56.78 Dutch Championships Utrecht 1st 400 m hurdles 1:00.32 Dutch Combined Event Championships Emmeloord 7th Heptathlon 4706 pts 2021 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 4th in heats 200 m 25.96 4th in heats 400 m 57.02 Dutch Championships Breda 1st 400 m hurdles 58.17 2022 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 6th 400 m 54.48 Dutch Championships Apeldoorn 1st 400 m hurdles 56.51 2023 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 3rd 400 m 53.11 Dutch Championships Breda 1st 400 m hurdles 54.95 2024 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 3rd 400 m 52.08 Dutch Championships Hengelo 1st 400 m hurdles 55.24 2025 Dutch Indoor Championships Apeldoorn 2nd 400 m 51.56