“Every training that was a nine had me coming home in tears. It’s not good enough, I want better, am I even good enough?” That’s Femke Bol laying it all bare, the world’s #1 ranked woman in the 400m hurdles, revealing her most human moments. Surprising? Definitely. But that very vulnerability is what powers her drive to be the best. You’d think an Olympic champion would be all confidence, but no, those doubts still haunt her, and she lets them fuel her fire instead of freezing her. And now, as she returns to her all-time winning territory, the Diamond League 400m hurdles, those doubts resurface once again, and she’s not afraid to let the world know.
Femke’s resume is impressive: 25 individual Diamond League wins, four consecutive women’s 400m hurdles series titles from 2020 through 2024, and an Olympic gold medal that puts her among the sport’s elite. And this Sunday, May 25, 2025, Femke will make her debut at the Meeting International Mohammed VI in Rabat, Morocco, a new stage for the Dutch superstar.
Yet even with all that, she admitted in the press conference before the 2025 Rabat Diamond League, “No, it’s always nerve-wracking, I think, and it’s always something special this time.” New places, new tracks, new challenges, the pressure never lets up, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But here’s the thing… with her biggest rival, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, not even in the race, you’d think she’d be calm, right? So why the nerves?
“It’s always nerve-wracking!”
Even after 25 wins and four series titles, Femke Bol is still excited to run in the #DiamondLeague#RabatDL pic.twitter.com/k8CnGvrgw6
— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) May 24, 2025
Well, we all know her speed is Unmatched. Even in July 2024, Femke Bol became only the second woman ever to break the 51-second barrier in the 400m hurdles with a 50.95 seconds. That time isn’t just fast, it’s historic. With Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, her biggest rival, currently out of competition, you might think Femke feels untouchable.
But she’s honest about her nerves, saying, “I don’t want to get used to it, and I don’t get used to it, so I’m happy about that.” That nervous energy keeps her on her toes and hungry for every victory. Who’s lining up against her? The field is stacked, but no one comes close to her speed. Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton is close-ish with a 52.51 season best, ranked 4th globally, still a solid 1.56 seconds behind Femke Bol’s 50.95.
Then there’s Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso, hanging around at 53.89 seconds and ranked 13th, followed closely by South Africa’s Zeney Van Der Walt at 53.90, ranked 14th. Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight isn’t far off either, with a 53.26 season best, sitting 8th in the world rankings. USA’s Cassandra Tate is ticking along at 54.01 seconds, ranked 17th, while Portugal’s Fatoumata Binta Diallo is at 54.65, holding the 28th spot.
South Africa’s Rogail Joseph is pushing with 54.12 seconds, ranked 21st, and Belgium’s Naomi Van Den Broeck rounds out this strong field with a 54.80 season best, ranked 45th. All impressive athletes in their own right, but still trailing quite a bit behind Femke’s lightning-fast pace. At the end of the day, Femke Bol isn’t just racing the clock or the competition — she’s racing her self-doubt, nerves, and limits.
But will she be able to do it after being absent from the Diamond League for so long?
Femke Bol is out early, but not out yet
Even the world’s fastest woman in the 400m hurdles, Femke Bol, gets nervous. Behind every run and record-smashing finish lies a vulnerability that drives her harder than ever. The 2024 Diamond League season proved just how unstoppable. She kicked things off in Stockholm on June 2 with a smooth 53.07 win, cruising past Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and Andrenette Knight like it was just another day at the office.
Then, in London on July 20, wow, she dropped a 51.30, the second-fastest time of her entire career, and shattered the Diamond League record in the process. A month later, she rolled into Lausanne on August 22 and casually broke another meeting record with a 52.25. Just three days later in Silesia, she wasn’t done; she clocked 52.13, yet another meet record. That stretch? Untouchable.
But even superstars get slowed down. In early September, Femke Bol had to pull out of Zurich due to illness. She let fans know on Instagram: “Unfortunately, I won’t be running @weltklassezurich like planned. I’ve been sick for the last days and I need to give my body some time to recover.” She added, “I’ve got some amazing memories and I would’ve loved to make some more this year, but I guess I will have to wait till next year.”
Still, even with that setback, she bounced right back. At the Brussels Diamond League Final on September 14, yes, just nine days later, she powered through and clocked 52.45, securing her fourth straight Diamond League title. Fast forward to 2025, and the Diamond League kicked off without her! She skipped Xiamen (April 26), Shanghai (May 3), and Doha (May 16), making fans wonder when she’d return.
That answer? Sunday, May 25, at the Meeting International Mohammed VI in Rabat, where she’ll make her debut on that track. After that, it’s Monaco on July 11, a place she’s eager to conquer. Later in August, she’s expected back in Zurich on the 27th, where some Olympic-level rematches are brewing in the 400m hurdles. Let’s just say this comeback season is already feeling electric.
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