With no Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the mix at the Rabat Diamond League on May 25th, everyone was certain that Femke Bol would take the win. The Netherlands’ star was eager to kick off her 2025 outdoor season with a strong performance in Morocco. After an incredible Paris 2024, where she won gold in the 4x400m mixed relay, silver in the women’s 400m hurdles, and bronze in the 4x400m relay, Bol was ready to add more honors to her name. Although she’s the indoor 400m world record holder, she competed in the single-lap hurdles in Rabat, an event where she’s dominated all challengers except for Sydney.

However, the competition was fierce. Bol faced a tough trio of Jamaicans: Rushell Clayton, ranked 4th in the world; Shiann Salmon, 5th; and Andrenette Knight, 8th. These athletes brought serious firepower. And did Femke deliver? Well, she did, but Sydney still haunts her. Well, absolutely. Starting strong from lane 6, Femke Bol powered through the first 300 meters beautifully, showing off her new technique.

She crossed the finish line with an impressive 52.46 seconds, marking the fastest season opener of her career and smashing the meet record while she was at it. Now, if you compare that to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who opened her 2025 season a bit earlier on April 4th at the Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, it gets pretty interesting. Sydney ran a solid 52.76 seconds, comfortably beating Dalilah Muhammad by almost two seconds.

So, Femke Bol was actually about four-tenths of a second faster, which says a lot about how ready she is this year. Honestly, that’s just amazing this early in the season. Meanwhile, Knight claimed second place with a solid 53.90 seconds, and Folorunso Ayomide finished strong in third at 54.74 seconds. But this win was way more than just crossing the line first; it was Femke Bol sending a clear message.

And the message is that she’s back, fired up, and ready to dominate 2025, especially with Sydney out of the picture for now. That said, the World Championships are just four months away, and if you look at Sydney’s season so far, she’s only getting better. Remember her last two races?

Two champions, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol, but one goal

The rivalry between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol occurred at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where McLaughlin-Levrone set a world record of 51.46 seconds to win gold, while Bol secured bronze with a time of 52.03 seconds. Reflecting on the race, Bol expressed admiration for McLaughlin-Levrone’s performance, stating, “I ran against the best in the world. Sydney is just very strong. She was so far in front at the end, so I was always doubting if I had a good race because it felt very good.”

But their rivalry intensified at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. There, McLaughlin-Levrone again broke the world record, running 50.68 seconds to win gold, while Bol took silver with a time of 52.27 seconds. Despite the gap, Bol’s performance was notable, and she acknowledged the challenge posed by McLaughlin-Levrone’s exceptional abilities.

Then, the 2024 Paris Olympics saw another chapter in their rivalry. McLaughlin-Levrone shattered her world record with a time of 50.37 seconds to win gold, while Bol finished third with a time of 52.15 seconds. Bol, while disappointed, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete at such a high level, stating, “It’s inspirational and motivational seeing McLaughlin-Levrone’s racing and seeing how she’s raising the bar.”

Going into 2025, Femke was pumped and ready to take it on—but despite her strong efforts, Sydney still seemed a step ahead. Sydney didn’t waste any time kicking off 2025—she crushed the 400m hurdles in 52.76 seconds, leaving Dalilah Muhammad in the dust. Then, just weeks later in Miami, she blew everyone away again with a scorching 52.07 seconds, the fastest anyone’s run that early in the season.

She said she was “feeling 14 strides” and loving her fitness right now. Meanwhile, Femke Bol is still chasing that magic; her personal best is a killer 50.95 seconds, but she’s still about half a second behind Sydney’s world record. So, what’s next for Femke? Can she close that gap and shake things up? This rivalry is far from over.