I'm obviously a Femke stan, but regardless, I never understand the whole "oh she's not as good as Sydney/she'll never beat her/she'll never be as fast/her gold isn't worth anything".
It's like saying Lyles 200m golds are nothing because they aren't as fast as Bolt's, or Gabby Thomas's Olympic gold is worthless because Elaine Thompson & Shericka Jackson were not there.
You can only beat who is in the race. Bol has beaten the women who were on the start line and won (another) World gold. She couldn't do any more, medal-wise, in that event this Champs.
Her times are not Sydney times, but she is the second fastest woman of all-time, who just happens to have the bad luck of competing at the same time against the woman who is the fastest of all time.
As for head-to-heads, if Kersee were to let Sydney compete on the Diamond League circuit like every other elite athlete, I am not so sure the head-to-head would all be in Sydney's favour. If they had met 10, 15, 20 times over the last 4 or 5 seasons on the DL, I am sure Bol could have won some of them. But Kersee won't risk top competition until he feels Sydney is ready and he restricts her racing. That is not Bol's fault.
So, props to Bol where it's due. 3 more World medals to add to the 2 World medals from 2023 and the 1 World medal from 2022. All to be added to her 3 Olympic medals from last season and her 1 Olympic medal from 2021. Whatever happens from now on, she can look back and be pretty pleased with her career.
I Think if Sydney McLaughlin was able to race all the Diamond Leagues And Big Meets, She Would Beat Edwin Moses Record of 122 wins in a row at 400 Hurdles.
Femke had a very good WC. Sydney likely on her way to becoming the greatest female track athlete ever (SAFP and Jackie Joyner probably going to have to move over). Femke was as close as anybody got to being real competition for Syd, but she was never that close anyway. Doesn't matter IMO. Femke is easy to route for and she races and bunch. I'll continue to cheer for her.
Being #2 behind the goat is nothing to be ashamed of.
No it isn't, but the way the OP and others speak of the #2 you would think that they are #1.
Leading up to the Paris Olympics, practically every day here on this site and on youtube, there were those ridiculous posts until the pure unadulterated arsewhipping, the demolishing that the GOAT put down on #2, and the new WR. The sycophantic, effusive posts disappeared for a while, now they are back.
A balanced approach would not belittle #1's accomplishments in order to make #2 seem greater than they are. And FFS, stop putting them in the same league - when they are clearly not - and all would be well.