Femke Bol, the Dutch sensation renowned for her dominance in the 400m hurdles and impressive strength over the flat 400m, suffered a surprising defeat at the Golden Spike meet.
Bol stepped onto the track as the favorite, unbeaten this season and seemingly in imperious form. But Salwa Eid Naser, the Bahraini sprinter with a decorated past, reminded the world of her brilliance. Naser stormed to victory in 49.15 seconds, smashing the meet record and recapturing the form that once made her a 48.14 athlete and a global champion. American Lynna Irby-Jackson also delivered a season-best 49.82, leaving Bol to settle for third in 49.98.
For a world-class competitor like Bol, a time of 49.98 is hardly poor, it’s elite by global standards. But for someone known for her fierce late-race surge, the sight of Bol fading in the final meters was unexpected.
Breaking Down the Race
Track analyst and YouTube commentator Coach Rob offered a sharp perspective on the upset.
“Femke Bol doesn’t run the 400 all that often,” he observed.
“When she does, I pay attention. I didn’t fully expect they were going to catch her, but if anyone could, it would be Salwa. And when Bol finally tried to make her move, she just didn’t have enough left.”
Bol, typically one of the strongest closers on the circuit, was outpaced in the home stretch, an unfamiliar sight for fans who have seen her dominate countless Diamond League and championship finals.
This was Bol’s first open 400m race of the season. The flat 400m isn’t her primary event, it’s a training tool, a sharpener for her true specialty, the 400m hurdles. And in that event, Bol remains untouchable.
Bol’s Hurdles Focus Remains Sharp
In 2025, Bol’s flat 400m performances have been intentionally limited as she zeroes in on the 400m hurdles, the event where she’s the reigning world champion and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s fiercest rival. While the Ostrava loss grabbed headlines, her hurdles times tell a different story.
Bol clocked 52.46 in Rabat, followed by a 52.51 in Hengelo, before storming to a meet record 52.11 in Stockholm. She also powered the Netherlands to double relay gold at the European Indoors earlier this year, underlining her all-round strength.
With the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September firmly in her sights, Bol’s narrow defeat in Ostrava feels more like a minor jolt than a crisis.
The Bigger Picture
While Salwa Eid Naser’s comeback and lightning-fast 49.15 have reshaped the 400m conversation, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone continues to rule the headlines.
The American star’s 2025 campaign has been jaw-dropping, highlighted by a 48.75 in New York, just a hundredth off her personal best. She’s chasing history on both the flat and hurdles tracks.
While others split focus between events, Bol is sharpening one weapon. She’s not chasing 48-second flat times this year. She’s chasing McLaughlin-Levrone’s 52.07 hurdles world lead.
If all three, Sydney, Salwa, and Femke, converge at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5, fans could witness one of the most electric 400m showdowns of the year.