By Chris Chavez
July 14, 2024
World champion Femke Bol ran 50.95 to break her own European record in the 400m hurdles at the Resisprint La Chaux-de-Fonds meeting in Switzerland.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Bol clocked her first sub-51 race, which is also the third-fastest performance in history behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s 50.68 world record from 2022 and her most recent world record of 50.65 to win the U.S. Olympic Trials.
– You can watch the race here.
– La Chaux-de-Fonds sees quick sprint performances each year as the city sits at around 1,000 meters above sea level. For context, South Africa’s Benjamin Richardson won the men’s 100m in 9.86 but entered the day with a 10.08 personal best.
– Bol’s previous personal best was 51.45 from last summer’s London Diamond League.
– Bol and McLaughlin-Levrone have not raced each other in the 400m hurdles since the 2022 World Championship final in Eugene. Their only previous race before that was the Tokyo Olympic final, where McLaughlin won gold and Bol took bronze.
What’s next:
– The first round of the women’s 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 4th.
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
