BOL RELISHES 'NICE BATTLE' AT OLYMPICS

She seeks best form for highly anticipated hurdles race against McLaughlin-Levrone

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Femke Bol, fresh from two golds and a bronze at June’s European championships, admits she is looking forward to what she says will be a “nice battle” with American arch-rival Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Paris Olympics.

Bol was one of the stars of the championships in Rome, dominating her speciality event, the 400m hurdles, and going on to anchor the women’s 4x400m relay team to victory, while also picking up third place in the mixed relay.

The Dutchwoman won Olympic 400m hurdles bronze in the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, when McLaughlin-Levrone claimed gold in a then-world record of 51.46 seconds.

The American bettered that in June 2022 at the US trials in Eugene by 0.05sec before taking it down to 50.68sec when winning gold at the world championships on the same track later that year.

She missed the 2023 world championships through injury and Bol won.

“I hope it’s going to be a nice battle,” Bol said. “I will try to be at my best form I can be and then we will see where it will bring us.”

Many track fans believe the duo’s clash will be one of the main attractions of the Paris athletic schedule.