"It's going to be an extra leap"- Femke Bol announces significant career change after World Championships success

Dutch track and field athlete Femke Bol made a major career announcement weeks after tasting immense success at the World Athletics Championships 2025. Bol's heroics saw her clinch the second 400m hurdles title of her career, along with two other relay medals, silver in the mixed and bronze in the women's 4x400m relays.

With this campaign, Bol further solidified her legacy in the 400m hurdles event as one of the most decorated as well as one of the fastest. However, just a few weeks later, Bol made a major career move as she transitioned from the hurdles to the 800m flat race.

The Dutch athlete announced this career update through an Instagram video, where she expressed excitement for this new chapter, stating that this would be a very different spectrum compared to the hurdles, and further expressed her love for the hurdles event and said:

"Now it's time for a new chapter. It's going to be an extra leap; I'm moving to the 800m. Fewer hurdles on the track, or well, a different kind of hurdles,' I've learned so much from hurdling, and I really loved, it will always have a special place in my heart. I'm ready for the next challenge, a new stimulus, a completely different kind of race, it's different from what I'm used to in the 400m hurdles, and I'm really excited to explore that."

In the video, Femke Bol's coach, Laurent Meuwly also appeared in the video where she remarked that this transition would be a challenge for both of them. Notably, the Dutch athlete's last completed 800m appearance came way back in 2017 during a U18 event, Dortmund Hallensportfest. She won this race in 2:19.51.

Edited by Soumik Bhattacharya