In the event you concept operating 400m in below 51 seconds was once exhausting, what about doing it whilst leaping over 10 limitations? Handiest two ladies in historical past have ever achieved this feat: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of america and Femke Bol of the Netherlands. Those two haven’t raced head-to-head since 2022, however will fight it out for the Olympic identify on Aug. 8.
McLaughlin-Levrone, reigning Olympic champion and 2022 international champion, returned to the hurdles this yr after a knee harm pressured her to sit down out of her 2023 season. She didn’t let this hang her again; on the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, she set a brand new international document of fifty.65, smashing her earlier document from 2022. Her time was once so rapid, it even obliterated the Olympic usual for the 400m tournament with out hurdles.
Glasgow. Picture: Kevin Morris
Bol flourished within the American’s absence closing yr, claiming the sector identify in Budapest, Hungary. Remaining week in Switzerland, she ran below 51 seconds for the primary time, surroundings a Eu document of fifty.95. She adopted that up together with her second-fastest time ever, 51.30, on the London Diamond League–which means she is the fittest she has ever been.
McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol have each gotten conversant in dominating the sector of their tournament, operating maximum races almost solo. The Paris twin will come all the way down to which athlete will race their best possible race–dealing with the power, placing up a combat and responding to the contest.
Even supposing we may now not have the ability to expect the winner, something we will be able to expect is this race might be rapid. Enthusiasts are taking a look previous only a new international document; all eyes are on that 50-second barrier. The heats of the ladies’s 400m hurdles will start on Aug. 4, with the semi-finals on Aug. 6 and the general scheduled for Aug. 8.