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Dutch sprinter and hurdler Femke Bol has reacted after being nominated for the Women’s European Athlete of the Year for her exploits in the 2025 season. This comes after her successful World Athletics Championships 2025 campaign, where she bagged three medals including a gold in the 400m hurdles, silver in the mixed 4x400m relay and bronze in the women’s 4x400m relay event.
European Athletics announced the nominees for this year’s Women’s European Athlete of the Year and Bol earned one of the spots alongside other big names, including high jump world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh and this year’s World 100m hurdles gold medalist Ditaji Kambundji. Bol had won the award last in 2022 and 2023, with Mahuchikh taking it in 2024.
Cathelijn Peeters, one of Bol’s teammates, shared the European Athletics post on her Instagram story, highlighting the three Dutch athletes including Bol nominated for the award. This was later reposted by Femke Bol on her Instagram story, captioning it:
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“🇳🇱🧡🧡🧡”
Notably, with her gold in the hurdles event, the 25-year-old also defended her title, having won the same event at the World Championships held in Budapest. Apart from her Worlds journey, the 25-year-old won her fifth Diamond League Final in the 400m hurdles.
In addition, Bol played a crucial role in the Dutch team winning the mixed 4x400m relay and women’s 4x400m relay at the European Athletics Indoor Championships held in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
Femke Bol reflects on her transition has been from Paris Olympics to 2025 track season
After defending her 400m hurdles World Championship title in Tokyo, Femke Bol reflected on the challenges of transitioning from the Paris Olympics to the new season and how she has stayed motivated.
To that, the Dutch track star reacted, saying how skipping the World Athletics Indoor Championships helped her preparations for the outdoor season (0:35 onwards):
“I think for me, it helped a lot that I didn't do a lot indoors. It really gave me some time to just get my head a bit out of the whole track and field and then get back in with a lot of motivation. I simply love track and field. I love to run. I love to train hard. So, I think the motivation wasn't hard, but yeah, year for the Olympics, you do feel that you push your body a lot.”
She added how her bronze-medal finish at the Paris Olympics also encouraged her as she was determined to have a ‘good hurdle’ for the World Championships in Tokyo.
