On August 22, Femke Bol ran to victory in the 400m hurdles event at Diamond League Lausanne, setting a meet record with her 52.25. A couple of days later, she headed to Silesia and broke yet another meet record, obliterating the previous one by almost 2 seconds with her 52.13. “I know it’ll be very hard to reach my PB, but I just want to enjoy every race,” she said in Poland. Yes, matching her 50.95s PB will be a mammoth task this year. And Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s world record is a ways away. But in a few years, it may not be.

The American’s dominance in the 400m hurdles has firmly cemented her status as one of the greatest track stars of all time. Since claiming a silver at the 2019 IAAF World Championships, McLaughlin-Levrone has not just been winning—she’s been rewriting history. Every time she’s stepped onto the track since that day, she has stood atop the podium, showcasing a streak of excellence that few can match.

It’s almost unfathomable that she’s broken her world record in the 400m hurdles an astounding six times, with the current mark set at a jaw-dropping 50.37 seconds. This ability to continually surpass herself in the relentless pursuit of perfection has left her competitors, including the incredibly talented Femke Bol, in the dust. It’s no wonder the track world is buzzing with questions about what it will take to catch up to her extraordinary pace.

Owing to her 50.95-second personal best, Femke Bol is the second-fastest woman ever in the event. And now that she’s consistently registering times under the 53-second mark, the Dutchwoman is helping raise the ceiling in the 400m hurdles. But Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is still in a league of her own. Discussing this on his Ready Set Go podcast, Justin Gatlin said, “It was Lashinda [Demus], and then it was Dalilah [Muhammad]. Then Sydney came along, and all three of those ladies just took the sport to a different level.” 

“If Femke starts running consistent 51s, dropping into the 50s, are we gonna be surprised by that? Are we gonna be in awe?” Sydney’s performances have redefined the sport to such a level that even a 51-second run seems almost mundane—a time that was once the pinnacle of achievement. Before McLaughlin-Levrone’s rise in 2021, no one had ever broken the 52-second barrier. Now, she has made such feats look routine. So, when Gatlin asked his coach if anyone would ever come close to matching (or even surpassing) McLaughlin-Levrone, Rodney Green said,

“The field may either be like, ‘I don’t know if I can get there,’ or the field will definitely start to take chances and say, ‘Coach, we need to change some things. I don’t want Sydney to blow us away. We need to be closer. What do we need to do in the off-season to prepare?’” Green highlighted the psychological and strategic challenges Sydney’s rivals face and how they must not only match her physical abilities but also her unwavering mentality and relentless pursuit of greatness. But it will most likely happen one day.

It’s gonna take two or three [off-seasons] to get there. Then those times will start to drop,” Rodney Green added. The candidate who’s shown the most promising signs of doing this is 24-year-old Femke Bol. However, she might need much more to actually catch up to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Green also compared this generation of hurdling to the one of sprinting when Usain Bolt used to dominate things.

“Think about it. Once we saw 9.5 from Bolt, that era after ’08, we’ve probably seen the most 9.7s by a group of gentlemen,” said Green. Usain Bolt first broke the 9.7 barrier at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with 9.69 seconds. The year later, he improved with a 9.58, making his record practically untouchable. That doesn’t mean athletes didn’t try to break it. Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake were able to match the 9.69 figure. Asafa Powell and Justin Gatlin did 9.72 and 9.74, respectively. But nobody could really reach the 9.59 level.

Since Bolt’s retirement in 2017, nobody has broken the 9.76 barrier. According to Green, this is how hurdling competitors like Femke Bol should react, too. Use Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s record to propel themselves to reach her level. Maybe that could help Femke break her record.

Josh Kerr’s dream Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol clash at the Grand Prix Slam

Track and field is diving headfirst into the world of big money, with billionaires and celebrities now throwing their weight behind the sport. With Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos making waves, Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track event is also turning heads. Set to make its debut next year, the event has already snagged its first superstar athlete—none other than Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who appears poised to make it her first competition post-Paris Olympics.

Meanwhile, Josh Kerr, who will compete in the 1500m event at the Grand Slam Track, shared his hopes for an epic showdown. The middle-distance runner has one simple wish: to witness Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone go head-to-head with Femke Bol in what could be an electrifying battle between two of the fastest women in 400m hurdling history. “I’m trying to think. Having Sydney as part of it… I love that head-to-head battle with Femke,” Kerr said. “Seeing them fresh and going head-to-head would be one for the ages.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by many track and field fans, eager to see these two legendary athletes face off again. The stage is perfectly set: Bol, looking for redemption after losing to McLaughlin-Levrone at the Paris Olympics, versus McLaughlin-Levrone, who has the chance to cement her dominance by defeating Bol once more. The anticipation is building—will we see this thrilling match-up at the Grand Slam Track event? Track and field enthusiasts are certainly hoping so.