By Amy Tennery NEW YORK (Reuters) -Dutchwoman Femke Bol announced on Friday that she is switching from the 400 metres hurdles to the 800m and will start competing in her new event next year. While the 400m hurdles world champion has often played second fiddle to the United States’ world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on […]
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Athletics-Netherlands’ world champion Bol to switch from 400m hurdles to 800m
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By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Dutchwoman Femke Bol announced on Friday that she is switching from the 400 metres hurdles to the 800m and will start competing in her new event next year.
While the 400m hurdles world champion has often played second fiddle to the United States’ world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on the Olympic stage, Bol has collected five straight Diamond League titles in her signature event.
“I’m really excited to share the next chapter of my career,” the four-times Olympic medallist wrote in an Instagram post.
“It’s a big change, it’s uncertain and challenging, but I’m ready to put in the work, surrounded by an amazing team and enjoy this new journey.”
Britain’s 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson welcomed her to the event, writing on Instagram: “Can’t wait to share the start line.”
Bol picked up 400m hurdles bronze at the last two Games and helped power the Netherlands to the top of the podium in the 4x400m mixed relay in Paris. She was part of the 2024 silver medal-winning women’s relay team as well.
Her main 400m hurdles rival, McLaughlin-Levrone, has also recently ventured into new territory, winning the 400m flat event at worlds in Tokyo last month.
The world 100m and 200m champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden said she was shocked to read the news but felt the move was good for track.
“I love it because it’s her challenging herself. It’s not like the 800m isn’t already a very, very stacked event,” she told Reuters at the Athlos track meet in New York.
“She’s like ‘I’m going to move up to the 800m, I’m going to see if I got what it takes to run with these girls.'”
The 800m provided one of the most compelling finals at last month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as Kenyan Lilian Odira produced a fantastic finish to take gold and Georgia Hunter-Bell squeezed past compatriot Hodgkinson for silver.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)