For nearly half a decade, the women’s 400-meter hurdles have belonged to two athletes, and two athletes only. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol have not merely dominated the event. They have redefined it with the only sub-51-second times in history. Yet when the World Athletics Championships return next month, the most compelling rivalry in women’s track will be put on hold. McLaughlin-Levrone is skipping the hurdles. And Bol is not thrilled.

“Maybe it’s a bit of a disappointment. It’s a shame,” Bol told Dutch outlet NOS after learning her American counterpart would not contest the 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo. McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder, has instead opted to pursue the flat 400 meters, where she nearly broke the U.S. record during her victory at the USA Track & Field Championships on August 2.

Bol acknowledged that her chances of defending the world title have significantly improved. Still, the 24-year-old Dutch star made it clear she would prefer to win the hard way. “As a track and field enthusiast, I think it’s great that she’s going to do the 400,” she said to NOS after the 2nd-place finish at the National Championships’ 200-meter sprint. “But as an athlete, I’d love to run against her; that just hasn’t happened very often.”

Indeed, their head-to-head meetings have been rare but unforgettable.

Bol has lost to McLaughlin-Levrone three times at major global championships: Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), the 2022 Worlds, and the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where McLaughlin-Levrone retained her title with another world-record run. “It’s always unique to compete against her. I love it, even though there’s a very good chance I’ll finish second,” Bol added. “She’s the very best ever in the event I do, so it remains special.”

The timing of McLaughlin-Levrone’s switch comes just as Bol was set to chase her second world title in the event. She won gold in Budapest last year when McLaughlin-Levrone was absent due to injury. While Bol will likely headline the hurdles in Tokyo, she is also entered in the 200 meters, a signal of her expanding range.

Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Levrone’s entry into the 400 meters sets up a new battle, potentially against two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo and reigning Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino.

The World Championships begin on September 13 and conclude on September 21. But the showdown everyone was hoping for, Bol vs. McLaughlin-Levrone over the hurdles, will have to wait. Perhaps, once again, until the Olympics.

However, despite every ounce of disappointment, Bol did not fail to acknowledge the caliber of her rival.

Femke Bol hails Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as the finest in 400m hurdles

Femke Bol does not speak of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as a rival to be overcome, but as a figure whose excellence shapes the standards of their event. When asked about the American, Bol’s words were unhesitating. “She’s the best to ever do it.” The remark was not a concession, but rather an acknowledgment from one champion to another, rooted in admiration for an athlete whose performances continue to redefine the outer limits of the 400m hurdles.

Bol’s respect extends beyond McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance in their shared event.

“I always love to see her race,” she exclaimed, noting the American’s willingness to compete in the 100m hurdles and even the 100m flat. In Bol’s view, such a range is rare. The ability to excel across disciplines is what makes her opponent remarkable. Observing these ventures is, she admitted, “always a joy,” suggesting that her own motivation is fueled as much by witnessing McLaughlin-Levrone’s versatility as by contesting her supremacy.

With McLaughlin-Levrone’s schedule keeping them apart until the World Championships, the Dutch runner’s focus remains on her own progression. Yet, the prospect of meeting the world record holder in peak form is never far from her mind.

In acknowledging McLaughlin-Levrone’s achievements without hesitation or qualification, Bol reveals a competitive spirit shaped not by antagonism but by the challenge of matching an athlete she considers unparalleled. It is in this balance of respect and ambition that the essence of their rivalry lies, promising a meeting in Tokyo that will be as much about mutual recognition as it is about victory.