Femke Bol will stop running the four hundred meters and focus on the eight hundred meters. The athlete announced this on Friday a message on Instagram. Just last month, Bol (25) became world champion in the four hundred meter hurdles during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“I’m going for an extra lap, fewer obstacles on the road or other obstacles,” says Bol in the video. “I really love the hurdles, that will always have a special place in my heart, but I am really ready for a different stimulus, a completely different kind of race. I think it will be going very deep in a new way than I am used to with the 400 and 400 meter hurdles and I am really looking forward to discovering that.” In the video, national coach Laurent Meuwly says he is looking forward to the new distance. “She finished the game in Europe. It is a challenge that is very exciting for both of us.”
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Why Femke Bol is one of the best hurdlers
In recent years, Bol has been considered the most successful athlete in the four hundred meters, with and without hurdles, and has won almost everything there is to win: from world championships, such as last month in Japan, to Olympic gold with the relay team. She also won two European titles in the four hundred meters and won two Olympic bronze medals at that distance. She also won several indoor titles. In the Diamond League, an annual series of athletics competitions, she has been undefeated in the four hundred meters for four years.
Earlier today it was announced that Bol is in the race to become European athlete of the year. Shot putter Jessica Schilder and discus thrower Jorinde van Klinken were eliminated, so Bol will now only compete against Swiss hurdler Ditaji Kambundji and Spanish race walker María Pérez.
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