"To go sub 51 is a dream come true" - Femke Bol delighted on her European record-breaking run in 400m hurdles

Femke Bol went sub-51s in the 400m hurdles with the third-fastest performance of all time. She penned a heartfelt note of gratitude for her teammates, coach, and father, who have supported her throughout her journey and were there to witness her 400m hurdles European record-breaking moment in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics 400m hurdles bronze medalist will vie for the gold in Paris, facing off against the likes of the world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Ahead of the marquee event, Bol ran the 400m hurdles in sub-51s (50.95s) to become only the second woman after McLaughlin-Levrone to achieve the feat.

Clocking sub-51s in the 400m hurdles was one of the major achievements of her career, as she expressed in her note on Instagram.

"50.95. Yesterday was magical. What a day, what a race, what a time. To go sub 51 is a dream come true and I’m soooo happy! Extra special to have my teammates, dad and coach at the finish line," she wrote.

Femke Bol credited all the members of her team for her monumental achievement:

"Thank you to everyone who supported me to be able to achieve this, it’s always a team effort."

Femke Bol won two golds in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, the first two world titles in her list. She repeated her gold-medal winning feat at the 2024 World Indoor Championships, running the 400m short track in a world-record-breaking time of 49.17s.

The second gold came from the 4x400m short track relay in which she stopped the clock at 3:25.07min, setting a Dutch record.

Femke Bol - "A bit of pressure is never something bad"

Femke Bol silenced speculations around her double participation in the 400m flat and 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics since it would be too pressuring for her to compete in both.

However, Bol expressed that she would have been happy had she opted for both races, since a little pressure can be helpful.

"It gives a nice pressure. It also shows you ‘Okay I have the medal, because I have already done it once - I know how I have done it back then. I have learned from it.' This is also something that helps, I think. A bit of pressure is never something bad," she said. (via European Athletics)

The 24-year-old will face Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris, who holds the top two fastest 400m hurdles times in the all-time list.