So many inspiring stories from the 2024 Paris Olympics. But so many heartbreaking losses as well. One such loss was a reality for Femke Bol. Though the Dutch athlete won a gold, silver, and bronze medal on the purple tracks of Stade de France, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone sidelined her. The 400m hurdles clash ended far worse than Bol anticipated.

“Gave it my all, and left my heart on the track. It’s not the race and result I came for and that hurts,” Bol wrote on social media after McLaughlin-Levrone defeated her by a massive margin, setting a new world record in the process. The 4x Olympic medalist broke down in tears in front of her family as McLaughlin-Levrone’s family members handed her the now iconic tiara.

Yet, despite the heartbreaking result, the European track and field community celebrated their star athlete. The official European Athletics page uploaded dedicated Instagram carousels for gold, silver, and bronze medal winners. Although Femke Bol didn’t get her golden treble, the community was proud. “Yes making it to be all the albums,” read the text bubble, a photograph featuring Bol holding up her bronze medal.

The Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone vs. Femke Bol rivalry reached its peak ahead of the 400m Hurdles. Things heated up when the Team Netherlands pulled off a near-impossible win in the mixed relay.

So when the rivals finally lined up for the 400m hurdles, the stakes and emotions had reached a peak. The crowd waited in nervous anticipation to see if the younger challenger could upset the dominant American. And for a while, it looked like Bol would once again be put in a clinic until the 200m. That’s when her 25-year-old rival found a new gear and blazed through.

Femke Bol’s goal for gold ended in disappointment as not just McLaughlin-Levrone, but Anna Cockrell also beat her to the finish line. Bol took 52.15sec to finish, which was still the 19th-quickest in history. So what went wrong with the Dutch track icon’s performance? Interestingly, a track and field veteran may have the answer.

When Rodney Green spoke in favor of Femke Bol…

During her first event in Paris, the 24-year-old stunned the crowd at Stade de France in the 4x400m mixed relay. Despite starting the anchor leg in fourth place, several meters behind the leading Team USA athlete, Bol won the race.

The athlete started her charge in the final 200m and finished the race 00.02s behind the world record. Yet as impressive as it looked, Rodney Green speculated that it took a lot out of the hurdler.

“Not giving her any excuses but you know you go in into that type of wheelhouse at the beginning of the Olympics, it take something out of your legs,” Green explained on the Ready Set Go podcast.

“She definitely wanted to put on for her country. If Femke doesn’t do that, her country doesn’t get gold, you know, what I mean and I think her legs might have been a little spent.”

He had a point, as Femke Bol won silver in the 4x400m medley, and finally bronze in the 400m hurdles. Meanwhile, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was fresh during their hurdles showdown.

Would things have turned out differently? That may have been unlikely, as Levrone yet again broke her own world record. However, it’s safe to say things may have been more competitive if the 400m hurdle was also Bol’s first race. Yet, despite the disappointment, Femke Bol can find solace in the fact that she made her nation and European track and field community proud. What do you think?

But speaking about Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, her Paris run looked perfect. Her sheer speed and endurance were so elite that even an athlete like Bol couldn’t catch up. Their rivalry was so big that people couldn’t help but wonder about their next possible clash.