Last season, the track and field fans found unequaled excitement by imagining a single picture, Sydney taking her stride against Bol in the women’s 400m hurdles event. And why shouldn’t they? Before moving to the 2024 season, the duo matched up against each other in 2022, for the last time. The event was in the World Athletics Championships in Eugene and Sydney took victory, setting a world record in the event. Next year, Bol bounced back. 

In Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s absence in the contest, the Dutch sprinter took over the reins and set a statement: She is the most prominent one to challenge the Olympic champion. And after 2023, the Paris Olympics set the platform for these two athletes to continue their rivalry on the track. Well, Sydney won again. In that season, Femke had two world indoor champion crowns. But she couldn’t defeat someone in Sydney who was making her comeback last season after missing many events. And now, it is the fresh season and fans were expecting a few more mouth-watering matchups between Sydney and Femke Bol. Nonetheless, things have yet to fall into place. Why? 

On January 27, Travis Miller shared a heartbreaking update. The NBC Sports Director of Social Media reshared Bol’s announcement on X. The two-time world champion revealed that she won’t compete in individual indoor races this season. This decision stems from Femke’s plan to strategically rest during the season, ensuring peak performance for key competitions. Furthermore, she wrote in her Instagram post, “It [the break] gives me the opportunity to have some more time processing everything that has happened and prioritize more things outside of the sports that are important to me.” A justified note from a key athlete! 

But the fans find Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s presence behind Femke Bol’s decision. How? One such fan wrote something beneath Miller’s X-post. The comment read, “Sydney broke her.” So, a part of the fans count Femke’s decision as a result of the losses handed by Sydney to her. Surely, it is about the defeat from last year at Stade de France. 

Before moving to the Paris Olympics, Femke Bol had some memorable outings last year. She tried a variety of events on track and won almost each. Example? Last year, Bol won the women’s 400m hurdles final at the European Athletics Championships. She continued the momentum in the London Athletics Meet, where she concluded the race in 51.30 seconds. But in a fortnight, she met Sydney in the French capital and the cards changed. 

Prior to competing in her third Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had participated in only a few women’s 400m hurdles races. In fact, if you exclude her 400m hurdles performances from the US Olympic trials, the total number is just one. In such a different scenario, she established a new world record in the event. At the US Olympic trials, Sydney secured her spot in the Games with a time of 50.65 seconds (marking her fifth world record in this event). In the Olympic final, she lowered that time by 0.28 seconds to set a new record.

Femke Bol, however, was on the receiving end. She remained winless against her nemesis since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. And now the streak will continue as she has opted out of her individual indoor races this season. Well, SML has yet to announce her comeback event this season. But the fans remained mindful enough to spot a few more Sydney effects behind Bol’s decision. 

Fans explore when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is chasing Femke Bol 

“Sydney got her rethinking her whole regime,” someone commented under Travis Miller’s X-post. Is that so? Is Femke Bol following Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s footsteps in the fresh season? But how? Here are a few pieces. SML competed in her last indoor race in 2023, in the women’s 60m event at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Next year, she made her comeback in a 4x100m relay event at the Mt. SAC Relays. She fairly missed the indoor season. But Femke attempted so many indoor events last year and found herself at the dead end in the grandest showtime, the Olympics. Do those facts connect the dots? For certain fans, indeed, those things resonate.

One such fan noted in the comment box, “Sydney got that girl locking in.” The girl’s identity can be guessed easily, Femke Bol. However, Travis Miller’s X-post witnessed a few ardent Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone fans in the comment box. They had a fine opportunity to bring a topic to the fore. Last year, several reasons made SML go MIA in the indoor season and a few key contests in the initial months. Well, it had not been a deliberate decision. Her coach, Bobby Kersee, mentioned his falling for the American races. 

“I like America, I like to race at home as much as possible. I get criticized for not going to Europe, but I coach United States athletes to put them on teams,” he said in an interaction with Citius Mag. Now, almost 9 months later, the topic entered the debate. Example? Someone wrote in the comment box, “When Sydney did this a bunch of losers cried. I have a feeling that these same people will find a way to give Femke praise for this.” Last year, Sydney had to face fans’ backlash because of missing races. 

Currently, Femke Bol finds herself in a similar situation. Will the audience be just as critical of her as they were with SML last year? Someone thought assertively. In the comment box, the fan wrote, “Sydney has her rethinking her whole training plan/schedule. I hope yall give her the same smoke y’all gave Sydney for not competing.” The sane-minded fans might not carry the same attitude. In fact, last year Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone penned a heartfelt post for those fans who supported her through thick and thin. Femke Bol will surely want a similar positive treatment from the fans in the upcoming days.