Femke Bol will make her outdoor 800m debut at Golden Spike in Ostrava on June 16.
Her coach Laurent Meuwly backs the former hurdler to challenge the best over two laps.

What happened?

Femke Bol has packed a lot into her career, winning two world gold medals for the 400m hurdles.
She completed an incredible sixth unbeaten campaign in 2025 on the elite Diamond League circuit.

Why it matters for Femke Bol

Bol's exceptional finishing pace has also seen her claim multiple medals as the anchor leg in 4x400m relay teams.
She notably won a gold in the mixed event in the Paris Olympics.

What comes next?

Bol ran her first 800m since 2017 in February, clocking a national record of 1min 59.07sec.
She then withdrew from the rest of the indoor season to nurse a foot injury.

Coach Meuwly is under no illusion of his charge's capability.
He said: "I think she'll surprise a lot of people in this first month of competition."

There's a lot of excitement because it's been a long period without racing.
Meuwly also hinted that the oldest world record in athletics could be under threat.

The 1:53.28 outdoor 800m record set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983 may be within Bol's reach.
Meuwly said: "I've always said that if Femke switched to the 800 metres, it was because I also felt that the 800m world record was more within her reach."

A packed field awaits in Ostrava, notably in the form of Switzerland's Audrey Werro.
Werro is fresh off establishing herself as the world's all-time No. 3 after a sensational 1:53.98.

Bol's impressive closing speed could push Werro hard again towards a fast time.
Meuwly said Werro had been "improving very steadily over the past few years".

Bol's name change is due to her marriage to Belgian pole vaulter Ben Broeders.
She will face strong competition in her outdoor 800m debut on June 16.

Former world champion Sha'Carri Richardson won her first 100m of the season on June 14.
She clocked 10.99sec at the Los Angeles Grand Prix with a slight headwind of -0.2m/sec.

Richardson outdistanced training partner Kayla White and Tamari Davis.
She said it "felt good" for a first outing at the distance.

Bol's coach is looking forward to a new challenge.
The outdoor 800m debut will be an exciting test for the former hurdler.