Breaking: Femke Bol is moving to 800m IMMEDIATELY

I’m a big Dalilah Muhammad fan and want to see her do well but she’s definitely in the home stretch of her career.

I think we should be paying attention to Savannah Sutherland.

It really doesn’t have anything to do with dodging Syd, I agree. Actually with it looking like Syd is going to be making more of a concerted effort in the 400 (I have also said the 200, but we’ll see), it would actually be the perfect time for Bol to stay in the 400h. She’s taking a risk but I think she’ll do well. I also think Syd will win gold in the 400 in LA and medal in the 200 and then she’ll retire.

Bc Sidney won't run the 800.

800m "hurdles"? When was that event included?

Not going back to see what post you’re referencing since you didn’t quote it but why would Syd do the 800? She’s fast twitch, a sprinter. Bol is fast twitch but not nearly as much as Syd. It makes perfect sense what they’re doing with Syd moving to the 400 & possibly the 200 & Bol moving up.

Can't wait to hear her voice after 2 laps.

One thing some on here may not have considered is that it seems certain that the move was preceded not just by good results from endurance work but actual time trial(s) at 800 m. A world-class athlete and her coach aren't likely to make such a move blindly.

As an old 800 man, I will say that dealing with others' tactics/getting in the way can be one of the more challenging things of running a good 800. This is true for multiple reasons--having to come up with a backup race plan or even a backup backup race plan on the fly while under extreme physical duress, somebody getting in the way right where you can optimally "go," and (not least of all!) as my coach used to say (I believe quoting either Mark Everett or Johnny Gray) "you've only got one, maybe two moves in an 800."

So, for that reason I agree with the other posters saying that it will be something to get used to for a 400H runner moving up. Certainly not insurmountable! It's extremely interesting to me that a long sprinter/hurdler would move up to such a tough distance. Respect!

800m potential can be tested in training very accurately. Team Bol did some workouts, then made the announcement. The 800m will likely go well for her, and will be fun to watch.

Looks like Citius was part of a small group of select media that got to meet with Bol and her coach for an exclusive interview. Lots of great quotes from Bol and her coach in the article linked below. Some highlights:

“I think I’m really proud of everything I achieved in the 400m hurdles,” Bol says. “Dreams I didn’t think I could have became a reality, which is something crazy to think about. I will still love the 400m hurdles but I’m really fulfilled with what I have achieved."

The longest interval that Bol has run in training is a 600m indoors, where she ran all-out in 1:23 all alone, her coach tells CITIUS MAG. The world record for 600m indoors is 1:23.41, set by Hodgkinson in 2023. Bol also says her 800m PB is 2:19.51 from an indoor race in 2017.

Femke Bol: “I think after the Olympics, the first meet was Lausanne and I sat down together with Laurent to reflect a bit on how the Olympics were. I’m not sure if it was a coincidence but we both came up with the idea of maybe going to the 800m. We then discussed when I would do it. On one hand, I got butterflies thinking I wanted to switch straight away but I also started thinking that I needed to let my emotions calm down a bit. It’s such a big step. I really wanted to think about it. We decided I would take this whole year to think about it but also a bit to have closure with my hurdles and have a last year knowing it’s my last year… We’ve known pretty much this whole season that it would be my last season.”

citiusmag.com

Inside 400m World Champion Femke Bol’s Decision To Move To The 800m In 2026 - CITIUS Mag

World 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol is closing one chapter and starting another. Beginning in 2026, the Dutch star will train full-time for the 800 meters as she targets a new Olympic dream in Los Angeles 2028.

Open link

yeah, you don't switch your event like that without some promising results from training. Pretty sure she's in sub-2 shape already.

When Mu ran 23.6 200m and 52.4 400m, her 800 PB was 2:04. (16-year-old)

I guess Bol is in somewhere around 1:58-59 right now. If she can get into 1:56 or even 1:55 next year, she's in good position for 2027WC/2028 Oly.

if she did that in training, no way she wasn't in sub 2 shape. 1:23 is 1:51 pace.

also savannah sutherland who ran a pr of 52.46 this year

This isn’t a move that Bol is making blindly. I guarantee she’s run fast 800s in practice or they wouldn’t be announcing it. At a minimum I’d guess she’s already at 1:58 running solo.

Yes , people always want to think runners could move up or down and do well, but Bol truly seems like a great fit for the 800.

I know, right? Or like they have no clearer idea how Femke will fare at 800 than a random LetsRunner posting on such a hypothetical. They know all the things she’s been able to do in training, we do not, and I’m sure they’ve long pointed to strong 800 potential…

In fact, I would not be surprised at all if she’s done an 800 time trial in 2:00 or faster already, and/or a 600 in something like 1:21. For her to announce the event switch like this, I trust that she has every reason to be confident in her 800 meter ability and potential. And I’m not familiar with her training, but it’s possible that phases of her training are practically identical to that of many successful speed-based 800 runners; it’s not like 800 paced running is necessarily a foreign concept to her.

I remember a thread about this same subject a year (?) ago where a Dutch site or publication of some kind was teasing a future switch to the 800, and her coach and training mates were saying she had great 800 potential, but Femke was resistant to the switch. So I figure this has been in the works for a little while.

And I don’t think it’s going to take until 2027 for her to be legit at the distance. I think she’ll run at least 1:57.x next year provided decent health. I don’t want to take a guess at the upper end of what she’ll eventually clock but it could be very fast; yes she’ll probably never be in the top-2 fastest all time like she is in the 400H, but there’s no shame in that when the top 2 are so obviously doped and untouchable for 40+ years.

Basically I think the floor is she’s world class, clocking 1:57 or faster, but not winning DLs or medals and she gets tired of being “just another 800 runner” after a couple years and considers a return to 400h—and the ceiling is she wins a Worlds or Olympic 800 gold, runs really fast, and becomes one of the great dual event athletes in history. Good on her for making the bold move.

F. Bol is moving to the 800m out of necessity to gain strength. Remember the Olympics are a couple years away, she can still return to the 400 hurdles. Sydney left for the 400m this year and Bol trying the 800m next year doesn't mean either have abandon the 400 hurdles forever. Bol needs the extra strength as Sydney new found 47.78 speed is something Bol knows she can't match; therefore, greater endurance is her only option to even slightly contempt beating a POTENTIAL sub 50 400m hurdler in Sydney.

Exciting news, good luck to her.

2026 very quiet in track, perfect year to do this.

Can't wait to see her run and hopefully quickly break 2:00 to get in the mix.

Obviously, nothing keeps her from still running 4x400 etc, and coming back to hurdles at some point.

Lots of interesting responses. I would say that she has made this change due to what her coaching team has seen in training. A very good coach can see her train and tell what she is capable of for the event. I'm assuming they know exactly what their doing. Now they have the winter to prepare. She will do well.