Femke Bol made an impressive correction to the European record in the 400m hurdles. The 23-year-old Dutch athlete, who is an Olympic and world medalist in the event, won first place at the London Diamond League with 51.45 sec. She improved her previous European record of 52.03 sec by more than half a second. Femke Bol’s achievement was also a new world best for the season, a personal best, a Diamond League record and a meeting record.
In addition, the Dutch athlete came second in the all-time world ranking. Only world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is ahead of her with 50.68 sec. Femke Bol breaks the 41-year-old 400m world record this weekend.
The second place in the 400m hurdles at London Diamond League was taken by Janieve Russell (Jamaica) with 53.75 sec, and the third place went to Shamier Little (USA) with 54.76 sec.
Femke Bol is a Dutch track and field athlete who specializes in the 400m hurdles and 400m. She was the Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalist in the 400m hurdles. Femke Bol is also the 2022 World Championships silver medalist and 2022 European champion. In the 400m, she is the 2022 World Indoor silver medalist, the 2022 European champion, a two-time European Indoor champion from 2021 and 2023, and the world indoor record holder with a time of 49.26 sec set on February 19, 2023 in Apeldoorn, beating the longest-standing at the time (and contested) track world record. At all these events except the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she also won medals in the 4x400m relays, either women’s or mixed.
Femke Bol was the first female athlete to complete the 400m/400m hurdles double at a major championships after she won both titles at the 2022 European Championships, where she added third gold for the women’s 4x400m relay. She holds world bests in the 300 m hurdles and indoor 500m (the mark is also an outright best).
