At the Paris Olympics, Femke Bol attempted to overcome Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for the first time. But history repeated itself with the American breaking yet another world record to win gold as Bol finished a distant third. Despite the hype surrounding their clashes since their first meeting at the Tokyo Olympics, it has been a one-sided affair when it comes to the on-track performances. While McLaughlin-Levrone has been dominant when they have raced against each other, the world rankings paint a different picture.

In Paris, McLaughlin-Levrone solidified her status as the reigning queen of the 400-meter hurdles. She finished with a time of 50.37s and broke her own world record for the sixth consecutive time. Bol, on the other hand, had to be content with a bronze medal after clocking a time of 52.15s to finish third. However, Bol has something to cheer about due to her efforts throughout the year.

This year Bol has shown how far she has come as a formidable challenger to Sydney. She started the 2024 indoor season in Metz, where she won the 400-meter short track with a meeting record of 49.69s. At the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, she competed in the 400m short track and won gold in 49.17s, breaking her own record from the season.

In June, she ran her first 400 m hurdles race of the season in Stockholm, Switzerland, and won in 53.07s. At the European Championships in Rome, she successfully defended her 400m hurdles crown winning the championship in 52.49s. Bol wasn’t done yet and at the Resisprint International, Switzerland, she clocked a time of 50.95s, going under 51 seconds for the first time. Before the Paris Olympics, she laid down a marker with a win in  51.30s in the 400mH at the London Athletics Meet.

She also brushed aside the disappointment of not finishing with gold in Paris with her fourth Diamond League victory in a row at Brussels, Belgium. This win has now propelled Bol to the top of the women’s 400m hurdles rankings. She sits at the top with a score of 1494 and is followed by Sydney McLaughlin-Lervone in second place with 1462 points to her name. Well, if you are wondering how come her gold medal in Paris didn’t give her the top spot, it all comes down to the nuances of the ranking system implemented by World Athletics.

World Athletics calculates the scores based on a combination of an athlete’s performance, position after results, and the level of competition faced. Each athlete earns points for their finishes, with those competing in higher-tier events receiving greater weight. Thus, even though McLaughlin-Levrone triumphed in Paris, her limited participation in other events during the ranking period impacted her overall score, allowing Bol, who consistently competed and secured podium finishes, to rise above her rival.

Notably, Bol’s success at the Diamond League came after the absence of her rival at the event. McLaughlin-Levrone’s eligibility for the Diamond League final added a layer of complexity to their rivalry. Initially, Sydney was slated to compete in both the 400m and 200m events in Brussels alongside Bol. According to the league, she did not meet the eligibility requirements to be offered a “Global Wild Card” under the series rules.

The rules for qualifying for the Diamond League Final in the 200m and 400m, state that the athletes must place in the top eight of the season qualification standings. Still, the Global Wild Cards can be issued, but only if athletes compete in and register a result in at least one meet during the season. However, McLaughlin-Levrone, seldom competes on the Diamond League circuit and her last appearance on the series was in June last year at the Meeting de Paris. Thus, she didn’t have any points from this season’s qualification meets and missed out.

Her absence opened an opportunity for Bol and she capitalized big time. She finished with a time of 52.45 to take gold ahead of USA’s Olympic silver medalist Anna Cockrell. McLaughlin-Levrone did get to compete in the special invitational women’s 400m flat and clocked a time of 49.11s to record a comfortable victory.

But for now, Femke Bol will point to the world rankings as the measure of the success and consistency she has shown over the year and how she continues to be McLaughlin-Levrone’s biggest rival despite the lopsided results in their head to heads. The question that arises now is will she be able to outperform her on the track?

Will Bol dethrone Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as the 400mh queen?

Bol’s confidence is undoubtedly buoyed by her recent success, yet she must confront the reality that, despite her accolades, McLaughlin-Levrone remains the athlete to beat. The head-to-head record stands at 3-0 in favor of McLaughlin-Levrone, a statistic that serves as a reminder of the challenge ahead.

In their first meeting in Tokyo, McLaughlin-Levrone lowered her previous world record and notched up a time of 51.46s while Bol finished third with a time of 52.03s. Next year at the World Championships, the US track and field athlete once again set a world record with a time of 50.68s and Bol finished second with 52.27s.

But Bol has steadily emerged as McLaughlin-Levrone’s biggest challenger. After winning the Diamond League 2021 in Zurich, Switzerland, she would go on to win gold in the European Championships in Munich the next year while adding another Diamond League title, both in 400mH. 2023 Eugene, saw her win more Diamond League gold and she claimed the World Championships in the same year in Budapest.

The recent Diamond League win further raises her stock with a spot at the top of the rankings being her reward. This could serve as the motivation for the Dutch athlete to finally overcome her nemesis.

As Bol continues to compete fiercely in the Diamond League and other prestigious events, her ability to maintain the top position will hinge on her consistent performances, while McLaughlin-Levrone’s path to reclaiming the rankings will rely on her participation and results in upcoming competitions.