"It meant I had to train a lot"- Femke Bol reveals what her break from competition looked like after missing most of indoor season

Dutch track star Femke Bol made her feelings known on her return to competition after taking a break following the 2024 season. Bol specializes in the 400m and 400m hurdles events, winning multiple medals at the Olympics and the World Championships. She most recently competed at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, where she recorded a time of 49.98s in the 400m event.

Bol made her breakthrough at the Tokyo Olympics where she won a bronze medal in the 400m. Earlier that year, she also managed to win a gold at the U20 European Championships. She would go on to set the world record in the indoor 400m with a time of 49.17s and also set the second-fastest time ever by a female athlete in the 400m hurdles, just behind USA's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

This season, Bol is confidently looking towards the World Athletics Championships and said her break helped her enjoy racing again. In an interview with Olympics.com, Bol said:

“I took a break from racing, but it meant I had to train a lot,” she said. “I'm really happy that I did this. I enjoyed this time just training a lot, being more at home, and now I'm enjoying racing again.”

Femke Bol would also go on to praise Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, calling her "the best to ever do it".

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Femke Bol on breaking 400m indoor world record: "I really wanted the gold"

Femke Bol at the Diamond League Silesia 2024 - Source: Getty

After breaking the 400m indoor world record with a time of 49.17 seconds at the 2024 World Indoor Championships, Femke Bol reacted to her victory by saying she knew she had to open fast. She also expressed her desire to win the gold medal.

In an interview after the victory, she said (via the Olympics):

"I knew I needed a really good race to win this gold. I knew I had to open fast, and once you open fast you have to keep going because you'll die anyway! It's amazing to also run a world record again. I was hoping to be in the 49... my coaches thought I could do it but I really wanted the gold."

“I never get used to it, especially with all these people cheering on home soil. It’s a dream come true to run another world record and it’s wonderful to have all these Dutch fans enjoying the most beautiful sport in the world."

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Bol claimed several medals, including a gold medal in the Mixed 4x400m Relay.