Just the beginning of the journey, Broeders-Bol says of 800m adventure
BRUSSELS: Femke Broeders-Bol has achieved what many athletes can but dream: swapping with success from a discipline in which she was a two-time world champion to the 800m, one of the most ruthless running distances.
Femke Broeders-Bol, a two-time world champion in the 400m hurdles, has ventured into an entirely new discipline - the 800m - and is making an impressive start. The 26-year-old athlete, who has already won gold medals in the 400m hurdles at the 2022 and 2023 world championships, as well as an Olympic bronze in the hurdles and a gold and silver in the 4x400m relays at the 2024 Paris Games, has decided to switch to the 800m distance.
Broeders-Bol's decision to compete in the longer race coincided with US rival Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone stepping away from the sport after giving birth. The Dutch athlete has proven that her transition has been successful, as she has already secured the second fastest time among all the athletes in the all-time list. Broeders-Bol's performance has been a surprise even to herself, as she never expected to achieve such speeds in her first season of competing in the 800m.
The transition from the hurdles to the 800m has been a significant challenge for Broeders-Bol, as she had to adapt to running in a lane and facing other competitors. She admits that her endurance needs improvement and that there is still much to learn about the tactical aspects of the race. However, Broeders-Bol remains humble and insists that her speed is very good for an 800m runner, and she is excited to continue learning and growing in the sport.
The women's 800m has been a highlight of the season, with Switzerland's Audrey Werro inching closer to the world record set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983. Broeders-Bol's impressive performance puts her among the elite runners in the field, including Britain's Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson. Werro, Hodgkinson, and Broeders-Bol have all played a role in completing the European podium in Birmingham last month.
The 800m has entered a golden age, with talented runners like Broeders-Bol, Hodgkinson, and Werro pushing the boundaries of the event. Broeders-Bol's professionalism and dedication to the sport have earned her admiration from her peers, including Sweden's pole vault champion Armand Mondo Duplantis, who praised her as "amazing" and an inspiration. As Broeders-Bol looks to the future, she remains focused on her goal of continually improving and contributing to the growth of the 800m event.
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