As the final meet of the year, Athlos, prepared. to be run, perhaps the biggest announcement of the season was made – that Femke Bol was changing events and going to the 800m! I, like many people, was surprised at this news. Though I thin kI was surprised for different reasons. Most were surprised at the move from the hurdles to the 800m. Personally I’m surprised that she’s leaving the hurdles at all.
Yes, she’s won two World titles, but she hasn’t won an Olympic title, and her last Olympic race was not her best in my humble opinion. She is number two all time, and only the second person under 51.00 at 50.95, but I thought she might try a run at 50.37, to see how close she could get. Also, given that she’s split 47.9 in the relay, I thought she might also spend more time in the open 400m, again to see just where she could go.
The problem with all of that however, is that it keeps her linked to the one person she’s been constantly compared to since she became a professional, Sydney McLaughlin Levrone, and I believe she felt it was time to forge her own separate path. They are two of the most special athletes in the sport today, in the same event, and literally the same age. They are currently on the same path, and ironically both are deviating away from that path – Sydney to the 400m, Femke to the 800m. Leaving the 400H without a true star, which most likely means, back to boredom. Unless someone like Jasmine Jones or Savannah Sutherland can elevate herself, and the sport, in the manner of Delilah, Femke, and Sydney.
On that note, I’m not as surprised at Femke’s move to the 800m as most. That’s because I’ve seen enough decades of the sport to have seen both hurdlers and quartermilers attack the 800m with success. Two of the best 400m hurdlers of the ’80’s Harald Schmid (47.48) and David Patrick (47.75) both concurrently ran the 800m. Schmid with a best of 1:44.84, Patrick a best of 1:44.70., with both men being ranked in the top ten globally in both events. Proving that the two events are compatible. Same with the open 400 and 400 over hurdles. Some individuals with notable bests over both events include:
Ayanleh Souleiman – 1:42.97 – 44.99
Emmanuel Korir – 1:42.05 – 44.21
Wilson Kipketer – 1:41.11 – 44.92
The WR holder, while not under 45 sec, has a very good best over the distance as well: David Rudisha – 1:40.92 – 45.50. The silver medalist in that race also had a very good 400m best: Nigel Amos – 1:41.81 – 45.56. In actuality, while the 400m is a long sprint, the 800m is the sprint event of the middle distances, with modern athletes running first laps of 49/50 seconds with regularity. Some occasionally running as fast as 48 seconds. In order to run the first half of the race this fast, and continue to a strong finish, one must be able to cover the distance in the 45 second range or faster.
Women have also had similar success competing in the 400m and 800m. Some notable female doublers in the two events:
Jearl Miles Clark – 1:56.40 – 49.40
Athing Mu – 1:54.97 – 49.57
Ana Quirot – 1:54.44 – 49.61
This is also a pairing on the women’s side where at one point both WRs were held by the same person: Jarmila Kratochvilova – 1:53.28 – 47.99! This is where Femke comes in in my opinion. She’s the indoor WR holder in the 400m at 49.17, nearly in the 48’s. We know she’s better outdoors even though she’s not run it much, if for no other reason than the track is not nearly as tight, and the race isn’t as physical. We also know that Femke has run 47.92 in the relay. Throw in her strength from running the hurdles, and her best there of 50.95, and Femke enters the 800m certainly at least being competitive.
How fast will she run? I’m not quite ready to step out on that limb just yet. I’d like to see her run it for a year first, but having watched the above women during their careers, I do believe that Femke can be as good, given she puts in the work and learns the race, as the race pattern for the 800m is distinctly different from the 400m, and with three full seasons to prepare, she has given herself a solid shot at being in a competitive position in Los Angeles ’28! She does come to the event with several traits that should lead to success. Among them speed, strength, the discipline to hold pace, and youth. Typically athletes don’t make serious changes in their careers until late, moving up as their speed begins to fail. At only 25 years of age, Femke has yet to reach her full athletic potential, so her’s will be an interesting journey to follow.
This coming season will be an optimal time to begin this change, as there is no global championship to contend with. However. There is a European Championship next year, presenting the possibility of Femke going head to head with Georgia Hunter Bell and Keely Hodgkinson. This year’s World Championships silver and bronze medalists! A unique opportunity for Femke to dive right into the heat of elite battle, and potentially a prelude to the ’27 World Championships and ’28 Olympics. I’m sure that many will follow Femke’s 800m races next year in much the same manner that we followed Sydney’s 400m races.
Here’s wishing Femke much success in 2026 and beyond. I have little doubt that she will be successful in this event.