Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol, two of the greatest talents in the world of athletics, will face off for the first time since 2022 when they meet each other in the Stade de France prior to the Olympic 400m hurdles final.
Due in equal measure to injuries, conflicting priorities, and radically different race calendars, their infrequent meetings have only helped to build excitement for one of the Olympic showdowns. So far, McLaughlin-Levrone has never lost a race to Bol, who promises to be her only real gold medal rival in Paris.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s legacy
Being an Olympic champion and the first female athlete in history to run under 51 seconds to win the 2022 world title—in which Bol came in a distant second—McLaughlin-Levrone is without a doubt the best in her field. With a time that would have won the British 400-metre flat title, she accomplished a remarkable achievement that made the second and third fastest 400-metre hurdles in history look like club runners chasing after her.
However, injury prevented McLaughlin-Levrone from defending her world title when she decided to focus on the 400 metres last season, and she has only participated in a few races this year.
Just as questions started to arise about whether McLaughlin-Levrone could handle any rustiness, she set yet another world record, this time in the 400-metre hurdles, winning the US trials in 50.65 seconds.
The rise of Bol
Bol has continued to rise, setting the long-standing 400-metre indoor world record twice in consecutive seasons and becoming just the second woman to break 51 seconds as she warmed up for these Olympics while trailing her American competitor. While McLaughlin-Levrone is mostly visible on the largest stages of competition, Bol’s victory on the track has quickly established her as one of the most recognizable athletes in the sport.
Exciting times ahead
Bol may have improved and become more dominant on the circuit, but McLaughlin-Levrone is still faster on paper than she has ever been. Bol would need to accomplish something quite remarkable to defeat her on the biggest platform of them all.
Source: The Guardian