She didn’t need to be in top shape; she just needed to be in Stockholm. Just three days after racing in Oslo, Femke Bol showed up to Bauhaus Galan and reminded the world exactly who she is: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s fiercest rival, the queen of consistency, and the undisputed star of the 400m hurdles. This wasn’t just another race; it was a homecoming of sorts. Stockholm is where Bol claimed her first-ever Diamond League victory back in 2020, and since then, she’s built an empire, 37 straight invitational wins, 25 of them in the Diamond League. Expectations were high, and Bol didn’t blink. Result?
Well, she already held the meet record (52.27) and had won in Stockholm three times before. Coming off strong early-season wins in Rabat (52.46) and Hengelo (52.51), the Dutch star looked focused but far from maxed out. Still, when the gun fired, she was all business. Attacking hard through the middle stretch, Bol glided over the final hurdles and crossed the line in 52.11 seconds — a new meet record, season’s best, and her fourth Stockholm win. And she did it all while claiming, “I am not in my best shape yet, so to take the victory is especially good.”
The field chasing her was no joke. Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad clocked a season’s best 52.91 for second place, and Gianna Woodruff of Panama followed in third with 53.99, also a season’s best. Behind them, Germany’s Elena Kelete impressed with a personal best of 54.79, followed by Amalie Iuel (54.84), Moa Granat (55.37 PB), Sarah Carli (55.43), and Ayomide Folorunso (55.98). But none could get near Femke Bol, who now has 38 straight wins and counting.
Still, one number continues to haunt the story: 52.07, the current world lead set by McLaughlin-Levrone in May. Bol came agonizingly close in Stockholm, but the gap, as tiny as it is, remains. She knows it too: “A race is never the same as training, and it is only my third race of the season, so I am still feeling some lactic,” she said. “But I am starting to feel the hurdles better every race and getting into race shape.” Well, we know lactic acid builds up in the muscles, which leads to heavy legs, slower movement, and reduced power, especially in the final stretch of a race. That kind of honesty only fuels the excitement. Because if she’s already running 52.11s, while not quite there.
For now, the route is simple: a few flat 400m races, a trip to the London Diamond League, and then a heavy training block before Tokyo. “It is such a high level at the moment in the hurdles, so I am very excited going forward towards the World Championships,” Femke Bol said. Excited? So are we. Because if this is what her building phase looks like, then her peak form might just be something historic. And Stockholm? It’s now officially Femke’s playground. So, how close is Femke Bol to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 2025?
Femke Bol and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in a race against time
Simply put, the stopwatch says 0.39 seconds for now. Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone opened her season with a world‑leading 52.07 at the Grand Slam Track stop in Miami, the fastest ever run before June. Femke Bol counter‑punched a fortnight later, gliding to 52.46 in Rabat, still unbeaten on the Diamond League since 2021, but fractionally adrift on the global list. On the flat 400 m, McLaughlin‑Levrone’s 49.69 sweep in Miami keeps her name on every leaderboard while Bol has yet to chase a serious outdoor quarter‑mile but carries that 49.17 indoor world record in her back pocket. Scorecard so far: Sydney owns the year’s quickest clocking; Femke Bol owns the win‑streak aura. So what must Bol do to flip the script?
Needless to say, Bol is not chasing greatness anymore—she’s living it. With a 50.95 European record, she becomes the only woman besides Sydney to ever run under 51 seconds. Yet the gap from 50.95 to McLaughlin‑Levrone’s 50.37 world record is the hardest half‑second in athletics. Bol’s 2025 training camps have doubled down on stride‑pattern precision, weight‑room power, and the invisible micro‑adjustments that turn clean hurdling into jaw‑dropping splits. A 52‑low is her comfort zone; a 51‑mid will keep Sydney honest; a 50‑high could rewrite history, and the Dutch star knows it. As she likes to say, “Now it’s about the small goals again… I prefer to let my legs do the talking instead of saying too much.”
Circle 13–21 September on the calendar: Tokyo hosts the 2025 World Championships, and both super‑hurdlers are entered for a showdown most expect to define the season. If McLaughlin‑Levrone commits fully to the 400 m flat, Femke Bol could inherit the hurdles crown outright; if Sydney doubles back, we get another clash of grace versus grit. Either way, the storyline writes itself: Bol hunting a sub‑51 on the traditional circuit, Sydney balancing between two events, and the rest of us just lucky enough to watch two standard‑bearers drag the event into uncharted territory. One barrier, one breath, and maybe one more line through the world‑record book.
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