Femke Bol, the 26-year-old Dutch athlete, is set to compete in her first outdoor 800-meter race on Tuesday evening in Ostrava.
She will face Audrey Werro, among others, in a tough test.

What's next for Femke Bol?

Bol, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and two-time world champion in the 400-meter hurdles, announced last fall that she would leave the low hurdles behind and turn to middle-distance running.

The road to recovery

After a foot injury cut short her indoor season, Bol had to be patient and limit her training to biking and cross-training, allowing her to complete extensive aerobic training.

The challenge ahead

Bol's coach, Laurent Meuwly, believes she is capable of a time of around 1:56 minutes in her very first race, and expects her to surprise many people in this first month of competition.

Bol's personal best of 22.64 seconds in the 200m is on par with the level of a European Championship final.
Her indoor world record in the 400m of 49.17 seconds makes her nearly two seconds faster than Audrey Werro and British Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson.

Learning the nuances of the 800m race

Bol still needs to internalize the tactical nuances of the 800-meter race, including race dynamics, positioning, and behavior within the field, which is uncharted territory for the Dutch athlete.

Meuwly emphasizes that Femke Bol is very analytical and watches a lot of races to observe placings and tactical decisions.
She is interested in learning the strategies of the 800m race.

On paper, Femke Bol possesses exceptional raw speed, with a personal best of 22.64 seconds in the 200m.
Her indoor world record in the 400m of 49.17 seconds is nearly two seconds faster than Audrey Werro's 51.03 seconds.

Bol's switch to a new discipline demanded patience, and she had to give up running for several weeks to fully recover from her foot injury.
Now, she is ready to compete in her first outdoor 800-meter race.

The anticipation is high, as it's been a long time without competitions, and Meuwly is looking forward to the new challenge.
Bol's debut in the 800m race will be a tough test against the world's elite, including Audrey Werro, who recently became the third-fastest runner in history over this distance with a time of 1:53.98 minutes.

Bol's coach believes that she will surprise many people in this first month of competition, and expects her to achieve a time of around 1:56 minutes in her very first race.
The Dutch athlete is ready to start a new chapter in her career and join the world's elite in the 800m race.