This is Witness the Wonder, the Preview to the 2023 World Champs in Budapest for Day 23, May 10, 2023. Femke Bol and Marcel Jacobs, How Will They Do in Budapest?
For the next 22 days, RunBlogRun will be posting a story a day on the buildup to the World Athletics Outdoor Championships, to be held in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19-August 27, 2023.
Tonight’s story is about athletes from Europe. We will speak about Femke Bol.
Femke Bol is the European queen of athletics.
Femke Bol is a specialist in the 400 meters and the 400-meter hurdles. Femke Bol won the European U20 gold in the 400-meter hurdles.
In 2021, Femke Bol won gold at the 400m indoors and 4x400m at the European Indoor Champs in March 2021 in Torun, Poland. Femke Bol took the Olympic bronze in the 400-meter hurdles at the delayed Olympics.
The Dutch hurdler/400m runner had developed into one of the world’s finest 400m/400m hurdlers. Her racing kills in 2021 was honed racing against the very finest in the world over the last four seasons. Crisp hurdling, great speed between the hurdles, and excellent 400m flast speed, Femke Bol is developing into an incredible talent.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MARCH 04: Femke Bol of the Netherlands celebrates alongside Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands after winning the Women’s 400m Final during Day 2 of the European Athletics Indoor Championships at the Atakoy Arena on March 04, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
In 2022, Femke Bol took silver at the 400m indoors and 4x400m relays at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. Femke Bol took silver in the 400m hurdles and silver in the 4x400m mixed relays at the World Indoors. At Munich, the European Outdoors in August 2023, Femke Bol took gold at the 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, and the 4×400-meter relay.
Femke Bol showed taking Diamond League title, photo by Diamond League AG.
In February 2023, Femke Bol set a WB at the 500 meters at the NB Indoor GP. Just a few weeks later, Femke Bol set a new WR at the 400 meters indoors in 49.26, then finished the indoor season with two golds in Istanbul, Turkey, a gold in the 400 meters and 4×400 meter relay.
Femke Bol sets the World record at 500 meters! New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Track & Field
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
February 3, 2023
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, photo by Kevin Morris
As Femke Bol prepares to open her outdoor season, many wonders if she will double in Budapest over the 400m and 400m hurdles. What a double that would be! We will have to watch what she runs this summer as she builds up to Budapest. Her 400-meter hurdles are the most competitive race on her schedule and her specialty, so we will just have to wait and see how the Summer develops.
Femke Bol, New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Track & Field
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
February 3, 2023
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, photo by Kevin Morris
Femke Bol is running the 400-meter hurdles against the World record holder in the event (Sydney McLaughlin) and the former WR holder in the event (Dalilah Muhammed). Budapest will be exciting, and the Women’s 400m hurdles will be one of the most exciting.
Femke Bol won 3 gold medalst in the 2022 European Outdoor Athletics Championships, photo by European Athletics
To read all of our earlier stories in Witness the Wonder, numbers 1-22: