If Bol (25) wins gold again today, that is a phenomenal performance. So far, Dafne Schippers is the only Dutch who managed to become a world champion in athletics twice in a row. She did that ten years ago in Beijing in the 200 meters and two years later at the same distance in London. Bol became world champion for the first time in 2023 and is today in Tokyo Torenhoog Favorite.
Femke Bol happy with silver at World Cup: ‘We cannot be legendary every tournament’
The pressure that comes from the high expectations is perhaps her main opponent. Without McLaughlin in the track, the Dutch top favorite can really only lose. But two years ago in Budapest, Bol proved that they can handle that pressure and in Tokyo she does not make the impression of being caught by the tension.
Femke Bol leaves nothing to chance
‘Task -oriented’ is the magic word. Bol leaves nothing to chance, shares her days with Swiss precision and cannot be distracted by all kinds of reflections. What should she do to walk her best race of the year on this Friday 19 September? That is actually the only question that really concerns her.
The world record in the 400 meter hurdles is 50.37 seconds and has been in the name of McLaughlin since last year. Bol improved its European record to 50.95 in 2024 on a high course and this year recorded 51.91 as the fastest time. She hopes to go under today.
Her main competitors are Dalilah Muhammad (the 35-year-old Olympic champion of 2016), Anna Cockkell (the number two of the Games in Paris) and Gianna Woodruff from Panama. These women are fast, but their best year times are more than half a second above that of Bol.
TOKIO – Femke Bol in the 400 meter hurdles section during the World Cup athletics in the Japan National Stadium. ANP Robin van Lonkhuijsen © ANP / ANP
Of course you can fall or get an injury, but even her coach Laurent Meuwly is confident in Tokyo. “From October we started training with the thought that we had to close the gap to Sydney. When it became clear in June that she would not participate in the hordes in Tokyo, that was no longer necessary. But all the work that Femke put in to get better again has been for nothing.”
Super -fast Femke Bol (25) during World Championship superior to final 400 meters hurdles
Would Bol perhaps ever want to participate in the challenging flat 400 meters in large tournaments? “No, not necessarily,” she said recently. “I think the 400 meter outdoor actually thinks the least of what I do. I did two flat races this year, I thought that was nice, but focusing on a whole year after it seems to me nothing. Then I am afraid that my hurdling will suffer.”
Everything indicates that Bol will continue to hurdle up to the Olympic Games of 2028 at least up to and including the Olympic Games. In Los Angeles, she can add that one missing individual title to her prize ringsal. On the way to that goal, Bol recently made a remarkable statement about McLaughlin. “I hope she will return and walk again in the 49 seconds. That would really be the ultimate. If anyone could, it would be she.”