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Dutch sprinter and hurdler Femke Bol recently shared her thoughts on the atmosphere at the Brussels Diamond League ahead of her participation in the 2024 Diamond League Finals. Bol will feature in the 400m hurdles event at the Finals, which offers a cash prize of USD 30,000 and a wild card for the 2025 World Athletics Championships besides the ‘Diamond Trophy’ to the winner in each discipline.
Bol had a remarkable 2024 season in which she bagged two gold medals at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won three medals of different color, collecting the gold in the 4x400m mixed relay, silver in the 4x400m women’s relay, and a bronze in the 400m hurdles event.
Although she wasn’t satisfied with her performance in the individual event in Paris, she will aim to bounce back as she contends to become the Diamond League champion for the fourth consecutive time in Brussels.
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During the press conference ahead of the Brussels Diamond League finals, Bol was asked about running in front of a semi-home crowd and whether their enthusiasm would boost her energy during the event. The 24-year-old responded (9:04 onwards):
“Yes, for sure, I can remember from last year it was I think the first one [competition] after Budapest [World Athletics Championships] almost and I was pretty tired, but this crowd is so amazing and it really feels like home so I'm really looking forward to it. Everyone is a bit tired. But with a crowd like that you don't feel it anymore.”
It is worth noting that Femke Bol has been in a relationship with Ben Broeders, a Belgian pole vaulter, which links her to the European country. Broeders is known for his gold medal victory at the 2017 European U23 Championships.
Femke Bol discloses the athlete she would like to face in an exhibition contest
Following the 100m showdown between Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm at the Zurich Diamond League which Duplantis won in a time of 10.37s, Femke Bol was questioned on who she would like to race against in an exhibition contest.
Bol reacted to this by mentioning that she would like to challenge British middle-distance runner Keely Hodgkinson in a 600m race.
“I would actually love to run with Keely Hodgkinson in 600m. We're good friends but um it's a bit far. So, I have to think that through really well.” [9:49 onwards]
Like Bol, Hodgkinson also had an impressive 2024 season in which she bagged gold medals in 800m at the Paris Olympics and the European Athletics Championships.
