Femke Bol is on a real roll this season, isn’t she? She has been emphatically asserting her dominance in the women’s 400 m hurdles, and it all feels like a prequel to the looming Tokyo Worlds showdown. Her outdoor campaign reads like a masterclass: she opened at the Rabat Diamond League with a meeting record of 52.46 s, followed two weeks later by another meet record of 52.51 s in Hengelo. And in Monaco on July 11th, she blazed past the field in a world-leading 51.95 s, a meeting record and the fastest time of the year. It’s clear: Bol isn’t just competing, she’s dominating.

And now, all eyes turn to Silesia, the next Diamond League stop, where Bol will face a tough field. That showdown is already buzzing in track circles, and anticipation is building rapidly. And beyond that looms the big stage, the World Championships in Tokyo, a stage where Olympic and world medallist Dalilah Muhammad surely awaits a grinding run. Could Bol’s sizzling form carry her all the way through?

Well, already at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest on August 12, Bol dropped another statement; she dominated the 400 m hurdles in 52.24 s, extending her unbeaten streak to a staggering 41 consecutive invitational wins, and perhaps even eyeing the meeting record of 51.68 s held by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. With each stride, she piles momentum, and the world is paying attention.

As she heads to Silesia and then on to Tokyo, one question echoes: with that kind of fire under her spikes, can anyone slow her down? Dalilah? Or in the absence of Sydney McLaughlin, could this Budapest performance reshape the dynamics in Tokyo? 

Femke Bol misses out on an epic showdown with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the world’s

Well, Tokyo will be a bit of a bummer for track fans, as Femke Bol won’t be lining up against her rival, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, at the Tokyo World Championships this September. The Dutch hurdling queen, born February 23, 2000, has built a thrilling rivalry with the American over the past four years, and it’s been a sight to behold.

Bol, a two-time 400m hurdles world champ and indoor 400m record holder with a 50.95-second personal best, has mad respect for McLaughlin-Levrone. “It’s always unique to compete against her. I love it, even though there’s a very good chance I’ll finish second. She’s the very best ever in the event I do, so it remains special,” she told NOS on August 9, 2025. That Paris 2024 clash, where McLaughlin-Levrone defended her Olympic title in world-record time, still lingers. But what’s behind this missed matchup?

Well, the disappointment stings for Bol, and you can feel it in her words. “Maybe it’s a bit of a disappointment. It’s a shame,” she admitted. “As a track and field enthusiast, I think it’s great that she’s going to do the 400. But as an athlete, I’d love to run against her; that just hasn’t happened very often.” McLaughlin-Levrone’s switch to the 400m flat—where she nearly broke the national record with a win at the 2025 USA Championships on August 2—means no hurdles duel. This leaves Bol as the 400m hurdles favorite, facing Dalilah Muhammad, while McLaughlin-Levrone tackles Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser. So, can Bol turn this letdown into a world title?