Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol have raced only three times in major finals. And each time, Sydney has utterly dominated the showdown. At Tokyo 2021, Sydney exploded off the blocks to shatter the world record in 51.46, while Bol grabbed bronze in 52.03. In the 2022 World Championships, Sydney rewrote history again with 50.68, over a full second faster than Bol’s 52.27. Their most recent clash in Paris 2024 was no different—Sydney powered home in 50.37, nearly 1.8 seconds clear, leaving Bol stumbling to bronze in 52.15. But almost 11 months after the Paris Olympics, this rivalry might have taken a new turn as Femke Bol has run after the 2024 Olympic gold medalist.
Sydney claimed the world lead in the 400 m hurdles this season, clocking 52.07s at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami on May 3, 2025, but this was until Femke Bol decided to give the fans something new to debate about. She stormed to a meet record and world-leading 51.95s in the 400 m hurdles at the Monaco Diamond League on July 11, 2025, smashing Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad and eclipsing Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone’s previous 52.07s lead. What does this mean?
Citing this, Track and field coach Rob made a statement in his latest YouTube video that, “We are living in a very unique era in the women’s 400 m hurdles. Right now, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done—there’s one woman everyone must beat: Sydney. Since she reached the top, nobody has figured out how to beat her. Femke Bol is the only one who’s even shown she has a real shot.” Though this does not sit very well with the fans.
One said, “Stop. Stopppp. Tell her to send a message when Sydney is actually in the race. I mean this is a video you could have skipped making; since one tanks under any sort of pressure.” Whether or not he is right about Femke, he is very true about the Sydney condition in the 400mH. Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone has remained virtually unbeaten in the 400 m hurdles since 2019, shattering the world record six times—including a dominant 50.37 s gold‑medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she bested Femke Bol by over a second.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Women’s 400m Hurdles Semi-Final – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 06, 2024. Femke Bol of Netherlands reacts after winning semi final 3. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Her consistency, world‑record pace, and unbroken winning streak confirm Sydney as the benchmark in women’s 400 m hurdles, and who is the person to ever run past the benchmark? The 2023 World Champion. So if there might be a person if to beat Sydney, it might be her, but the fans disagree.
Fans aren’t happy about Bol Being Put in Contention With Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Fans are not sugarcoating their words for the track and field athlete. One fan said, “ Stop the cap!!What message did you think she sent SYD? I heard the same noise and headline from you in 2024 when Bol run her inflated 50.95 that she was going to challenge GOAT Sydney and she was DESTROYED in the Paris Olympics.” The 25-year-old clocked a time of 50.95 s in the 400 m hurdles at the Résisprint meeting in La Chaux‑de‑Fonds, Switzerland, on 14 July 2024—setting a European record and the third-fastest time ever in the event. It marked her first sub‑51 breakthrough and firmly placed her in elite company alongside Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone.
There were talks that she would be a challenge for the world record holder in the Olympics, but it did not turn out that way. Citing Paris, another fan said, “lol I see you media guys never learned lessons, you just need astonishing titles for clickbaiting what happened last year in Paris? Do you remember? Anyway, I think it is Dalilah sent stronger messages to all her competitors and track fans: I AM BACK! Never count the former WR holder out. BTW Dalilah is the ONLY competitor Sydney always mentioned in her interviews and spoke highly of, you just know which one is her rival in her own eyes (not the one you media hype likes)”
Dalilah Muhammad has shown that her legs still have the speed. She ran a season-best 52.58 s in the 400 m hurdles at the Monaco Diamond League, finishing second behind Femke Bol. Her time broke her own Masters (35+) world record, surpassing the 52.91 s she set in Stockholm. Also, she has had words of praise from the New Jersey native as well. Another fan went off in the comments saying, “Femke hearing footsteps Coach. Forget Sydney. Anna beat her at the Olympics. Dalilah’s pb is 51.5. She started the season at 54.49 at for last at Jamaica grand slam. Since then she has cut her time to 52.58. That is 2 entire seconds in 4 months. She might be 51 mid or low by WCs. Femke isn’t a sub-51 hurdler. She has the one sub-51 time, true, but her top 5 races were 51 mid. So, yeah. Footsteps.”
Jun 25, 2021; Eugene, OR, USA; Dalilah Muhammad wins women’s 400m hurdles heat in 55.41 during the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Muhammad opened her season in Jamaica with a time of 54.49 s, and has since trimmed that down to 52.58 s in just 4 months at Monaco–a 2‑second improvement, which is massive in the 400 m hurdles. At the Paris 2024 Olympics women’s 400 m hurdles final (August 8, 2024), Anna Cockrell surged past the Dutch to secure silver in 51.87 s. One of the fans summed up the rivalry as “Like I said before, Femke Bol is 1988 Michael Spinks and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is 1988 Mike Tyson. Femke is Straight up SCARED of SYD THE KID.”
On June 27, 1988, Mike Tyson—then the undisputed heavyweight champion—knocked out undefeated Michael Spinks in just 91 seconds, one of the fastest title-fight finishes ever. Reports indicated Spinks was so apprehensive he nearly refused to leave his dressing room, overwhelmed by Tyson’s presence. Fans are putting Sydney and Bol on the same page. What do you think of this rivalry, with Sydney’s retirement plans out now, would Femke beat her before her goodbye to the sport?
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