Dutch heptathlete Anouk Vetter has won the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, setting a new Dutch record in the process.

Vetter was in the lead by just 19 points ahead of the final event – the 800 metres which was won by Belgium’s Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam, giving her the gold.

Vetter, who won silver in the heptathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, told broadcaster NOS after the final event she was happy to have helped make the competition exciting.

‘It is unfortunate that the 800 metres is not my best event,’ she said. ‘And let us not forget that Thiam did a great job.

Thiam smashed her 800 metres personal best by two seconds to reclaim the lead with a final score of 6947, the second-best mark of her career. Vetter took the silver with 6867, breaking the new Dutch record she had set in at the Olympics. Anna Hall of the US won bronze.

The Netherlands has won three medals so far at the games. Jessica Schilder won bronze in the shot put earlier in the week, while the mixed 4×400 relay team took the silver.