We are fortunate enough to be in the time of the three greats; Dalilah Muhammad, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Femke Bol, witnessing races that will no doubt go down in history. The Paris 2024 Olympics will provide the stage for McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol to battle for victory. With their current performances, a new world record can be greatly anticipated.
The 400-meter hurdles event requires the ultimate fusion of speed, stamina, and agility, as well as a wealth of physical endurance and an equally strong mind. It is also considered the most difficult event in the sport of track.
In recent times, the world of Athletics has seen 3 women who are the most talented athletes this women’s event has ever seen: Dalilah Muhammad, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol.
Muhammed, the two-time Olympic champion from the United States of America, is the oldest and the former world record holder. She was the one who began transforming the event and is third on the women’s 400m hurdles all-time list (with a timing of 51.58).
Only two athletes have been able to surpass her; Femke Bol, the athlete from the Netherlands, as well as Muhammad’s teammate, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The latter was the youngest American track athlete in the Rio 2016 Olympics, at only age 17, although she could not make it past the semi-finals.
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McLaughlin-Levrone went on to set a new World Record in 2020 after winning gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, while the previous gold medalist (Muhammad) won silver. Since 2019, these two athletes have had fierce competition to break the world record, with Muhammad breaking her world record at the World Championships in Doha, and McLaughlin-Levrone breaking this time in the Olympic trials of 2020.
McLaughlin-Levrone has also commended Muhammad for being the one to push her to her best timings, stating that “Iron Sharpens Iron”, for they both entered the Olympics final with the top two times, delivering an intense and exhilarating race. It is very commendable to see the way the two athletes support and respect each other, a great example to us all that healthy competition could lead you to greater heights.
Further, Bol and McLaughlin-Levrone are the two strongest athletes this event has ever seen in Olympic history, as Bol has also set many records in this event of her own. Since the Tokyo Olympics, Bol and McLaughlin-Levrone have met each other on the track twice, where the latter has emerged victorious. However, Bol has shown steady consistency and improvement through her other races, and she currently holds the world record in the 400m short track, with a time of 49.17 seconds (2024).
She also holds the European record in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 50.95 seconds, set very recently, in her last race before the Olympics (14th July 2024). This makes her the second fastest woman of all time in the event, only to McLaughlin-Levrone, and their timings are not completely far off from each other. They will be going head-to-head to win gold in this Olympics.
McLaughlin-Levrone is heading to the Paris Olympics after breaking the world record in 400m hurdles on 5 occasions thus far, an unprecedented achievement in the world of track and field. The current World Record she has set is 50.65 seconds, a personal best, and now she looks to defend her title. She has won 3 Olympic medals, breaking her own records time and time again, more than any other athlete has done.
Even though it seems as though her victory is set in stone, Bol will offer her stiff competition and we do not doubt that these two versatile athletes will make history, in just a few days, with the race of a lifetime.
The heats of this event begin on Sunday, August 4th from the State de France, and are broadcast live on ThePapare TV, Dialog ViU app, and ThePapare.com.
