Femke Bol’s recent wins at the Paris Olympics and the Lausanne Diamond League are yet another testament to her incredible speed. In the Diamond League on August 21, Bol went on to create history. She won the 400mH clocking 52.25s breaking her record of 52.76. Bol did not stop there, cut to four days later. Perfectly set on the tracks of Silesia, where she set her last year’s record, she won the 400mH clocking 52.13. Just when it seemed like nothing could stop Femke Bol, she faced an unfortunate setback.

Bol had to drop out of her next race, leaving a huge gap in the lineup. This comes right after her brilliant run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Bol went on to win a shining trio of medals. She won a Gold in the 4×400 m mixed, a Silver in the 4×400 m relay, and a Bronze in the 400 m hurdles. Bol was all set to continue with the momentum, but sometimes it was impossible to dodge the curveballs. Amidst all the highs and lows, Bol’s confidant ‘Femke’ has gone on to make some heartfelt confessions.

Always the ‘Femkes’ Despite All Odds

Femke Bol has has an athletic doppelgänger. And guess what? Her name is Femke too, Femke Frijters. Frijters and Bol have been friends for over a decade. Frijters is an athlete herself. And a good one at that! Frijters herself has a personal best of 57.94 seconds in 400-meter hurdles. The two Femkes struck by serendipity met at the National Championships. “A lot went wrong on this trip. I was supposed to share a room with another athlete, but due to delays, we were asked to share a room together. That was the start of a friendship that still lasts,” said Frijters.

So what do the two Femkes talk about? Athletics? “We don’t talk about athletics,” answers Frijters. The two have over the years developed a camaraderie beyond the track. The two have been racing side by side since 2015 when they met before a crucial race at the National Junior Championships. “In the spring of 2015, I saw Femke for the first time during a competition prior to the National Junior Championships. She was already running far ahead of everyone else,” recalls Frijters.

That’s not all! Like a true best friend, Frijters managed to score last-minute tickets for the Paris 400m finals and she showed up to cheer her friend on. “Of course, you can see from the top tier of the stadium that it wasn’t the race she had in mind. That evening, just before we drove back, I texted her that I was very proud of her,” Frijters added. Although wholesome and has the qualities, this is no conventional friendship.“We don’t have daily contact anymore, but we still meet up regularly to catch up. Then it’s not about athletics, she’s very interested in my normal life. She’s also super attentive,” disclosed Frijters about her fellow Femke. But that does not mean bad blood! In fact, “At Christmas, I got a beautiful poem sent to me and when I moved in together she sent a present,” Frijters added.

Femke Frijters is very proud of her friend Femke Bol and the pride is palpable. She went on to add, “The last time we were having lunch I noticed that people were already looking with a look of ‘is she or isn’t she’, but we weren’t interrupted for a selfie. Perhaps that will be the case after her recent three medals.” The sisterhood of Femkes continues to cherish despite all odds, but the same can’t be said about Femke Bol,

But There Is More Brewing in Femke Bol’s House

Femke Bol had to bow out of the Weltklasse Zurich race scheduled for September 4. Despite her dominance in the Diamond League this year, she had to withdraw due to a health condition. After her record-breaking performances, she took it to Instagram and wrote, “It’s amazing to run a meeting record here and run 52 seconds again, especially in this beautiful city. I was less tired than expected, actually. In the past few days I spent 11 hours a day in bed. I am glad that I have some days to rest now before my last race of the season in Zurich.”

After posting this, Bol’s health continued to deteriorate. She went on to say, “Unfortunately I won’t be running @weltklassezurich like planned. I’ve been sick the last days and I need to give my body some time to recover. I’ve got some amaaazing memories and I would’ve loved to make some more this year, but I guess I have to wait till next year. Goodluck to everyone competing there and I hope it will be an amazing night for everyone in the stands.”

But her impressive wins at the 2024 Diamond League have also brought up the question of whether Bol gained an advantage in the absence of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Sydney recently won the Gold at the Paris Olympics 400m hurdles clocking 50.37 seconds. That leaves a difference of nearly 1.88 seconds between Sydnay’s Paris win and Bol’s latest win at the Diamond League. Although Bol’s record is an impressive one, which when put beside Sydney, falls a little short. As the track and field events continue at blazing speeds, the world will eagerly await the return of their Dutch hero.