"Thought I was brave"- Femke Bol reveals Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson after revealing decision to switch events in the upcoming season

Femke Bol opened up about Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson's reaction after she revealed her decision to compete in the 800m in the upcoming track season. The Dutch athlete shocked the track world when she announced her decision to switch to the middle-distance event after dominating the 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this year.

Bol has been pushing her limits in the 400m and the 400m hurdles over a long period of time and achieved great success in her efforts in the 2025 indoor as well as outdoor seasons. However, after consulting her team, she decided to go out of her comfort zone and compete in the 800m, an event that she had never competed in professionally.

Kelly Hodgkinson, who is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 800m, texted Bol a day before her public announcement about switching events. Femke Bol shared an excerpt of their conversation in an interview with European Athletics and expressed that Hodgkinson cheered her on and lauded her brave decision to switch events after achieving massive success as a 400m hurdles athlete.

"She was really excited for me, I think, and she thought I was brave for taking this step because the 800m is really packed right now. We always see each other at training camps, and we always go for lunch. So, I think this time the lunch would be a bit more, also advice about how to run the 800m," she said. (3:26 onwards)

Moreover, Bol shared that the women's 800m has an incredible set of athletes, and challenging herself gives her the motivation to prepare even harder for the next season.

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Femke Bol's message about her decision to compete in the 800m

Day 9 - World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 - Source: Getty

Femke Bol penned a heartfelt message on her official Instagram account about her decision to compete in the 800m. The Dutch athlete shared that she was excited to step into a new chapter in her track career and challenge herself against some of the best athletes in the world.

Bol shared that she would have a different training approach for the 800m, which would include more volume and endurance workouts.

"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," she said.

Femke Bol thanked her fans for their unwavering support and hoped to put forward her best performance in the upcoming track season.

Edited by Adityan Pillai