“I am looking forward to racing Sydney that will push us both”, Femke Bol’s wish might not prove beneficial for her in just one or two weeks. Her dominant opponent has appeared in four types of track events this year, and stunningly, each time, she made her presence felt. Whereas in the 400m sprint, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone still owns the world-leading time (48.75 seconds), in the hurdle section of the same distance, her timing in the Olympic trials (50.65) stands loftier, as the world record. Yet something more is around the corner to make the Dutch sprinter worried. 

On July 24, a track and field fan posted about Sydney’s superhuman ability to scratch seconds from her world records. Notably, in the 2021 US Olympic trials, she claimed the 400m hurdles world record in 51.90 seconds. In just 40 days, she went faster and set the bar higher (51.46 seconds). The fiery show continued as, in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, she repeated the feat. Now, coming to the Paris Olympics, in trials, Sydney has already claimed the world record in the 400m hurdles event. And that consistency leads her to continue the streak—by shaving a few more seconds off her world-best time. Would the French capital be the next audience to watch Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone attain the world record timing for the sixth occasion? 

That question may be taking a round in Femke Bol’s mind right now. Being the perfect match as the opponent, the 24-year-old has a few facts that keep her floating in front of the American rocket. This year, at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, Femke unsheathed her sword of brilliance on the track. Riding on that, she reaped success in both the 400m and 4x400m relay events as the table topper. Furthermore, on July 14, her sharpened prowess helped her bring her personal best down to 50.95 seconds in the 400m hurdles event—a timing just 0.30 seconds behind Sydney’s record. 

Another fact is that in her American opponent’s absence at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Femke Bol rose to the top of the podium in the 400m hurdles event. So the 400m hurdles battle has come down to the duel between these two charismatic sprinters. And the record gives equal weight to both of them. How? Let’s dive deep. 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s record vs. Femke Bol’s consistency 

Since the Tokyo Olympic Games, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol have countered each other two times, and both times the former has left the track with the winner’s smile. But does that add to a bigger chance for her to make the third in the Paris Olympics? Not perfectly, though. 

Sydney’s 2024 season is nothing less than a fairy tale so far. Her Midas touch had turned everything into gold. But so does Femke Bol. The two-time world champion is yet to face a defeat in the 400m hurdles event this season. Her victory stint covers contests like the London Athletics Meet. Compared to her American nemesis, Femke has remained a far more regular in sight this season, contesting in diverse tracks. So, claiming the world record again wouldn’t be a straightforward job for Sydney while Femke will be around her. Moreover, the latter has already claimed that Sydney’s presence on the track pushes her to go beyond her limits. She had a few more things to jot down. 

In furthering her paean for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Femke Bol said, “It’s really inspirational and motivational how she is racing, and seeing how much she is raising the bar… Because the moment you see someone do it, even though she is a really exceptional athlete, there is something you’re headed to think, ‘Maybe, I can also do it!’” If that motivates her in Paris, then things might go upside down.