Dutch superstar Femke Bol has been looking back on her world record breaking exploits as she targets a defence of her 400m hurdles title at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, taking place 7-12 June.
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The world 400m hurdles champion was talking on European Athletics’ new podcast series Ignite which features some of the sport’s biggest names as the countdown to Roma 2024 continues.
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For two successive indoor seasons, Bol has broken the 400m short track world record. She set a new best of of 49.26 at the 2023 Dutch Indoor Championships, breaking Jarmila Kratochvilova's 41-year-old record.
This year, she crowned another superb indoor season by winning gold at the World Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 in an astonishing 49.17.
“It’s what you strive for – to become the best you can,” she says. “And if it’s the best ever, it’s something amazing.
“I especially remember in 2023 when I ran it (the world record), the next morning I woke up and I was like ‘ok, what now? What’s happening? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
“And I think this year I could enjoy it so much more because I knew the next morning I will wake up exactly the same because it won’t change a thing about me. But I could wrap my had around it.”
Bol, Gianmarco Tamberi, Mondo Duplantis, Keely Hodgkinson, Marcell Jacobs have all confirmed their participation at Roma 2024 in recent weeks. The women’s 400m hurdles final will take place on Tuesday 11 June at the Stadio Olimpico.