After her remarkable success in the 400m hurdles discipline, Femke Bol announced her move to 800m, following the footsteps of her arch-rival Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who moved to the 400m flat earlier this season. This move is a crucial decision in the Dutch athlete’s career, as the new distance will test her versatility and ability to run longer distances.
Bol’s decision came just a few weeks after her success at the World Athletics Championships 2025, where she won the 400m hurdles world title for the second time in her career.
What Is the Mindset Behind Femke Bol’s Switch From 400m Hurdles to the 800m?
The decision to switch to the 800m wasn’t Bol’s unilateral decision, but a collective one with her coach, Laurent Meuwly. The 25-year-old has been working with Meuwly since 2019, and the pair has seen notable success together during their stint.
Bol shed light on her and her coach’s thought process behind the switch.”I think after the Olympics, you start to re-evaluate everything, look at the past years, look at the upcoming years,” Bol said via European Athletics. “It was a thought that came to my coach and me at the same time, wanting to go to the 800m.”
Bol admitted that the decision to make the switch tempted her frequently, stating, “I think it was there sometimes, but I was always so focused on the hurdles that I didn’t take a lot of consideration in it. I really had a full year to think about it and also think mentally to say goodbye to my hurdles.”
In her interview, Bol also said that this stage of her career is the perfect time to make this switch, adding that she is pretty young and healthy. The Dutch athlete’s exploits over the 800m distance will be showcased next season, following an impressive 2025 campaign marked by a Diamond League title and three medals at the World Championships.
Bol Reveals the Moment That Made Her Feel Like She Belonged to the International Circuit
Before her success at the World Championships and the Olympic stage, a pivotal moment that defined Bol’s mindset towards the international stage came back in 2021 in Stockholm. In a recent interview just a month ago, Bol opened up about this moment and how her training for the Olympics that year helped her achieve it.
She said via European Athletics, “The moment I really saw I could go on an international level was when I ran in the Stockholm Diamond League, my 52.37. I was going to the 53’s, and this was already really good, and the whole year I was also training to hopefully get an Olympic medal.”
The Dutch athlete managed to secure a medal at the delayed Tokyo Olympics that year. She finished third in the 400m hurdles race, finishing behind McLaughlin-Levrone and Dalilah Muhammad.