Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s rival Femke Bol to feature in World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meet before Paris Olympics 2024

Dutch sensation Femke Bol will be competing in a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meet before heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the quadrennial Games, she will face Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in what is set to be a thrilling showdown in the women’s 400m hurdles.

This season has already witnessed McLaughlin-Levrone delivering a remarkable world record performance at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, clocking a time of 50.65s in the 400m hurdles. Meanwhile, Bol has run the 400m hurdles thrice in 2024 with her season-best time being 52.49s, which she recorded during the 2024 European Athletics Championships that fetched her the gold medal.

Bol will next be in action in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Resisprint International La Chaux-de-Fonds, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meet, in Switzerland, scheduled for Sunday, July 14.

2023 world champion Femke Bol has been listed to compete in the event as the entry list has been revealed by the event organizers on their website. Track and field enthusiast, Owen M, reported about Bol’s entry in the event on his X (formerly Twitter).

Bol opened her 2024 season by participating in indoor 400m events. At the 2024 Dutch Indoor Championships, Bol set a new world record with a time of 49.24 seconds, surpassing her previous record.

She yet again showcased a dominating performance in the finals of the World Athletics Indoor Championships where she broke the world record again in the 400m, clocking a remarkable 49.17s to win the gold.

Her outdoor season saw her play a crucial role in qualifying the Netherlands 4x400m mixed relay team for the Paris Olympics and helping the team win the silver medal at the 2024 World Athletics Relays held in the Bahamas. She also took the top spot in the Stockholm Diamond League leg in the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.07s.

A look into Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol’s rivalry at prestigious tournaments

: Femke Bol (L), Sydney McLaughlin (C), and Dalilah Muhammad (R) at World Athletics Championships Oregon22. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol faced one another at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 400m hurdles where the American dominated with a then-world record 51.46s to win the Olympic title. Bol clinched the bronze medal with a then-European record of 52.03s.

They went head-to-head once again at the stage of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in which McLaughlin-Levrone set a world record yet again, clocking a 50.68s, while Bol had to settle for the silver medal with a 52.27s.

However, Femke Bol has since then remarkably improved her timings, holding a personal best of 51.45s. As a result, the 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics is anticipated to be a thrilling contest.