Femke Bol dominated the women’s 400-meter hurdle race at the Diamond League Track and Field Meet on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland in a record-breaking time of 52.25 seconds. While she may have looked untouchable, Bol’s success this season has been far from linear. She fell short of her expectations at the Paris Olympics in the 400-meter hurdle final, but rather than allow disappointment to consume her, she decided to race again in Lausanne.
Rapid Progress Leads to Pressure
Heading into Paris, many expected Bol to put up a strong fight against world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Even though her personal best of 50.95 seconds was still slower than McLaughlin-Levrone’s, it was closer than any of their other competitors. Bol attributed this progress to a change in her mindset during races. “I think about going out fast," Bol told FloTrack after setting the meet record at the London Diamond League Meet on July 20th. "I just realize that I love my comfort zone a little too much by chilling the first 200m and then after that, I [switched] my mindset and decided I go out and I die and I’m proud of it."
Falling Short of Expectations in Paris
Bol opted to compete for the Netherlands in the 4x400 mixed relay prior to competing in the 400-meter hurdles in Paris. She anchored the team to a shocking victory despite receiving the baton in fourth place. “I channeled my [anger] from Budapest back and I saw my teammates already cheering me on coming back,” Bol explained to the Associated Press when asked about her mindset during the race. While Bol knew she had an important individual event coming up, she wanted to put her best foot forward for her country, especially after falling during the same event at the World Championships last year.
Bol’s hard-fought effort in the mixed relay likely took a large mental and physical toll on her as she progressed through the rounds of the hurdles. She went out hard the first 200 meters of the final race and looked to be very close to McLaughlin-Levrone, but in the second half of the race, she faded to third behind both McLaughlin Levrone and Anna Cockrell. While winning a bronze medal is no small feat, Bol was in tears after she crossed the finish line.
“I died quite a bit, I’m not too happy about this but it’s [the] 400 hurdles. You will always die at one point,” Bol said in a press conference with McLaughlin-Levrone and Cockrell after the race. She felt that the result was due to poor execution on her behalf rather than fatigue from the mixed relay and was very gracious towards her competitors. Despite the emotional toll of the 400 hurdle race, Bol came back afterwards to help the Netherlands win a silver medal in the women’s 4x400-meter relay.
Maintaining Confidence and a Positive Attitude
“Gave it my all, left my heart on the track. It’s not the race and result I came for and that hurts,” Bol expressed in an Instagram post after the Olympics. Despite her disappointment, Bol announced just a few days later that she would be continuing her season at the Lausanne Diamond League Meet. “I know I’m still in shape…I think mentally and physically I have been [under] a lot of pressure, but…it’s now about enjoying what I do, enjoying all the hard work I put in the last year, and just racing,” Bol told FloTrack. This mindset helped Bol bounce back so quickly after the Olympics. She did not dwell on her disappointment or become consumed by outside pressure. Instead, she remained confident in herself and her training.
The nonlinear nature of Bol’s success this season proves that all women athletes, even the best in the world, have ups and downs throughout their athletic careers. When we encounter setbacks, it’s normal to feel disappointed, but we shouldn't allow them to consume us. If we continue to work hard in training and recovery and enjoy the process, we will see improvement in our athletic performance.
