Femke Bol has been one of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s biggest rivals in recent years. Although the Dutch star has yet to defeat the American in the 400-meter hurdles, their rivalry remains one of the most compelling in track and field, with both athletes pushing each other to new heights.
Now, with McLaughlin-Levrone shifting her focus to the 400 meters flat for the 2025 season and exploring other events, and Bol announcing her move up to the 800 meters, both are entering new chapters in their careers. Following her announcement, Bol reflected on her early days as an athlete, opening up about how she handled her emotions then and how those feelings have not changed much today.
Femke Bol Talks About Handling Her Emotions as an Athlete
Bol was asked in a recent interview with Dutch sports news website Sportnieuws whether she used to cry as a young athlete when she didn’t win. She responded that while she didn’t mind losing, the act of competing itself often felt intense and even a bit “scary,” which sometimes made her cry because it was emotionally overwhelming.
She said, “I didn’t win very often, and I didn’t mind. And if I got a personal record, I was happy. But certainly when I jumped high, I used to be able to cry, I always found it so difficult and also a bit scary, so there were often tears at the end.”
The 25-year-old went on to admit that she still gets emotional during training sessions if things don’t go as planned, showing that her tears come not from losing but from her deep passion for the sport. “Nowadays, I can cry during a training session, if it all doesn’t work out,” she added.
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The Dutch sprinter and hurdler, notably, announced her transition from the 400-meter hurdles to the 800 meters via an Instagram post in October, where she not only shared excitement for her new phase of life but also showed vulnerability about stepping into something unfamiliar.
Her big revelation drew reactions from middle-distance champions Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell, who expressed excitement over Bol taking on the event.
Bol Reflects on the Thought Process Behind Her Move to 800m
The multiple-Olympic medalist explained her reasoning behind moving to the 800 meters, revealing that she and her coach took time to reevaluate her career direction after the Paris Olympics. Although the idea of switching had crossed her mind before, she admitted she was always too focused on hurdles to seriously consider it.
In an interview with European Athletics, she was candid about why she felt it was the perfect time for her to make the move, adding, “I really feel like it’s a good time. I’m still young. I’m mentally and physically feeling really fit. And it’s a really, really big challenge. That’s also why I want to do it while I still feel at my best. And it also helps me knowing what I’m leaving behind on the hurdles.”
It is worth noting that this major move comes shortly after Bol successfully defended her 400-meter hurdles title at the World Athletics Championships 2025 with a commanding victory. Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Levrone also impressed at the global championships by winning the 400 meters flat, a non-regular event for her, with the second-fastest time in the event’s history.