Femke Bol Completes Unique Double With 400m Hurdles Title
To become the first female Femke Bol runner to win both events at a major championship, the Dutch star will compete in the 400m and 400m hurdles in Munich. Additionally, she will take part in the 4×400 relay.
Femke Bol, a two-time world silver medalist in track athletics, has started a massive challenge that she thinks will give her another opportunity to show off all of her skills.
The Dutch athlete hopes to make history at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich by winning both the women’s 400m and 400m hurdles events.
“I know what I’m going to do will be difficult, and I have no idea if it will succeed, but I have chosen to take the chance,” “To Olympics.com, she spoke.
“I am ready to put up a strong fight since I feel good and healthy.
On Tuesday, Bol won her 400m semi-final heat to launch the extraordinary journey (16 August).
Based on her personal best time of 52.03 from the thrilling Tokyo 2020 Olympic final in 2021, where she finished third behind Americans Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin, she is the clear favourite in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
With a 52.27 from the spectacular race in Eugene, where McLaughlin dropped her world record to 50.68, Bol, 22, is the second fastest woman this season.
Bol is also one of just two Europeans to run the 400 metres in under 50 seconds. Her 49.72 is 0.11 quicker than the previous record set by Polish runner Natalia Kaczmarek. She is in Munich as well.
The Netherlands star is excited to pursue the “double problem,” as she labelled it in an Instagram post, despite being aware of the enormous effort that lies ahead.
At the media press conference held prior to the Championships, Bol remarked, “The 400m and the 400m hurdles is a hard double.”
“I don’t know how often I will do it in my life anymore, but I have the opportunity to do it now.”
At a significant championship, no woman has ever won both competitions.
At the 2018 European Championships in Berlin, former World and Olympic champion Karsten Warholm competed in the men’s one-lap double.
He finished eighth in the 400-meter final but won the 400-meter hurdles in a time that set a European U23 record.
Don’t remind me, the Norwegian said in response to a question about her odds given his experience four years prior.
But he was confident that Bol, who was in good form, could accomplish it because Munich’s schedule is also in his favour.
“I really like what she’s doing. I believe she can succeed “said Warholm.
“She is currently incredibly fit, which is what you need to be. The excellent timetable will be beneficial. I believe she can make it work.”
Tuesday’s 400-meter race was Bol’s first in Munich (August 16). With a 50.60 victory in her semi-final heat, she breezed into Wednesday’s finals.
Poland’s Anna Kielbasinkska qualified first quickest with a time of 50.45 from the first semi, and her countryman Kaczmarek took first in the second with a time of 50.40.
The women’s 400-meter hurdles semifinal is on Thursday, and the championship is the following day.
With the 4x400m relay heats on Friday morning and the final on Saturday, Bol is aiming for three medals from Munich.
