Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone never intended to stay comfortable. In a move that continues to jolt the track and field world, the Olympic champion has shifted her focus away from the event she has ruled for nearly a decade. Long before stepping onto the track at Hayward Field for the US Nationals, McLaughlin-Levrone made it clear she would not defend her world title in the 400-meter hurdles. Instead, she threw herself fully into the open 400 meters. What few expected, however, was that her decision would have wider consequences, potentially clearing a smoother path for Femke Bol at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

The shift did not come lightly. McLaughlin-Levrone entered the U.S. Outdoor Championships with an eye on more than just qualifying. Running from the front, she dominated the final, surging through the first 200 meters and never giving her competitors an inch. Her finishing time of 48.90 seconds not only secured her second national title in the flat event, but also confirmed her position as the second-fastest American woman in history behind Sanya Richards-Ross. She was untouchable, but even at that level, she knew the event remained a new frontier. “I’ve learned a lot about the 400,” she said in the post-meet presser shared by LetsRundotcom on YouTube. “Ultimately every day it’s stepping on the track, being the best I can be, figuring out a race that is very foreign to me.”

In the post-race interview, McLaughlin-Levrone addressed the lingering question. Would she also enter the hurdles at Worlds, leveraging her automatic qualification? Her answer was unequivocal. “No, we’ll focus just on the 400,” she stated. “It’s a very competitive field, so I respect those competitors for sure and I want to make sure I can give my all to those races.” Her response effectively removed the one name that has consistently stood between Femke Bol and global gold. With McLaughlin-Levrone out of the event, the Dutch star’s path to a world title appears significantly less complicated.

The decision also reflects a pattern. At last year’s World Championships, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had planned to run the 400 meters flat but withdrew due to a knee injury. At the US Olympic Trials, she scratched the 200 and 400 due to scheduling overlaps, opting to remain in the hurdles. This time, however, she is committed to the flat race. In three appearances this season—Jamaica (50.32), Miami (49.69), and the July Grand Slam (49.43) she has continued to sharpen her craft, currently ranked sixth in the world for 2025. Her long-term plans remain open-ended. But for now, with McLaughlin-Levrone firmly out of the hurdles, Femke Bol’s chances of winning her first outdoor world title have never looked stronger.

Can Femke Bol outrun the shadow in Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s lane?

Femke Bol no longer approaches the 400m hurdles as a solitary campaign. Her pursuit is calibrated and consistently influenced by the shadow of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. With each outing on the European circuit this year, the Dutch athlete has displayed a clarity of purpose that goes beyond seasonal goals. It is not simply about victory or fast times. It is about closing the distance between herself and the benchmark set by an American rival she does not try to rival in words. “I always love to see her race,” Bol said plainly. “She’s the best to ever do it.”

That admission does not stem from concession, but from recognition. At 25, Bol is working through the narrow margins that separate elite from legendary. Her early-season win at the Diamond League in Stockholm, clocked in 52.11 seconds, marked the fastest time ever recorded at that historic venue. The performance came within striking distance of McLaughlin-Levrone’s world lead, offering evidence that Bol’s approach, grounded in polarised training and technical discipline, is bringing her closer to the numbers she seeks. “It’s always great to run 51, to be already so close to 50 [at this time] is amazing,” she said.

And yet, Bol will not see McLaughlin-Levrone on the hurdles this summer. The American, who set the current world record of 50.37 seconds in Paris last year, has temporarily stepped away from the event to focus on the 400m flat. That decision alters the field, at least in appearance. Bol remains fully aware of the gap that still exists. Her ambition is not conditional on who shows up. But for now, the path to the highest podium pedestal is less obstructed.