"We'll see each other at Paris again" - Femke Bol on the inevitable clash with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 400 m Hurdles at Paris Olympics

Femke Bol from the Netherlands is more than prepared for the Paris Olympics 2024. She recently ran a personal best of 50.95 seconds, only the second woman to do so after the current world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Ahead of her race at the London meet of the IAAF Diamond League, the Dutch athlete opened up about her admiration for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and how she is looking forward to meeting her in Paris.

She said (via Wanda Diamond League):

"...We're friendly, and we're with the same sponsor. We both realize that the 400 m hurdles is not an easy event, and I have a lot of respect for her. I know how committed and hard working she is. We don't see each other a lot, but we'll see each other in Paris."

Femke Bol also revealed how Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone helped her to push forward. She added:

"It's really inspirational and motivational how she is racing, and seeing how much she is raising the bar....Because the moment you see someone do it, even though she is a really exceptional athlete, there is something you're headed to think, 'Maybe, I can also do it!' "

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Femke Bol vs Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: Head-to-head comparisons

Femke Bol and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are the top contenders for a gold medal at the women's 400 m hurdles event in the Paris Olympics.

The two sprinters have faced each other twice at major events. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record to win the Olympic gold medal. She clocked 51.46 seconds, while Dalilah Muhammad of the USA took the silver medal by clocking 51.58 seconds. Femke Bol won the bronze medal with 52.03 seconds.

Who will set a new record: Femke Bol or Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone? [Image Source: Getty]

The two athletes next met at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Femke Bol and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone went neck to neck in both the heats and the semifinals, with none ready to budge. However, when they faced each other in the final, the American sprinter once again overcame the Dutch athlete, breaking her own world record with a timing of 50.68 seconds.

Femke Bol managed to win the silver medal with a seasonal best of 52.27 seconds. Since McLaughlin-Levrone pulled out of the 2023 World Championships, Bol won the gold medal, improving her time to a new personal best of 51.7 seconds.

With less than a week left till the Paris Olympics, the margin between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol is only decreasing. While McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record to record a timing of 50.65 seconds, Bol broke the 51-second barrier to clock a personal best of 50.95 seconds.

It would be interesting to see which of the two manages to set a new record and win the Olympic gold medal.