Bol and Warholm in a class of their own in Rome

06/11/2024 05:08 PM

Star hurdlers light up the Olympic Stadium as they capture more European titles in record-breaking style

Two European Championships 400m hurdles finals. Two athletes less ordinary. Two expected victories. Two championships records in Rome.

Karsten Warholm and Femke Bol are at the vanguard of two of the most hotly contested events in world athletics at the moment, and both showed themselves to be a class apart from their continental counterparts. Now comes the biggest item on their to do lists – taking on the world at the Paris Olympics.

Warholm is, of course, the defending Olympic champion after his jaw-dropping and world record-breaking victory in Tokyo almost three years ago. Yet though this was his third consecutive European 400m hurdles title and though he won it by breaking his own championships record with a time of 46.98, the air of invincibility that once surrounded the Norwegian does not appear to be fully there just yet.

To quote the man himself, he did indeed go "out like a rocket" but didn't look entirely comfortable over the final two hurdles. The outcome of the race was never in doubt but

Italy's former European U23 champion Alessandro Sibilio began to close on his way to 47.50, while Swedish world indoor 400m bronze medallist Carl Bengtstrom clocked 47.94.

That both were carried to national records perhaps highlights further just how strong Warholm's influence is and how high the standards are that he sets.

The three-time world champion insists his body is giving him the answers that he wants to hear and, though the Olympic clock is ticking, now is not the time to be peaking – even if Brazilian Alison Dos Santos has already applied some pressure with his world lead of 46.63, followed by Rai Benjamin's 46.64.

Warholm's season's best is 46.70 and after his third 400m hurdles race of the year (including the qualifying heats here) Warholm said: "It never goes out of style, winning a gold. It gives me a great feeling and it's something that I really, really love. To get good answers from the body and win another gold medal… you know, you don't get these chances every day so it's super important to take advantage of them and to really push.

"At the start I felt like I went out like a rocket and these are the answers that I'm looking for. With the Europeans being a bit earlier in the year, I've been able to test a few things and I've been getting the right answers so for me the pace is where I want it to be and we're fighting towards more."

Asked about the standards being set in his event, he added:  "We started pushing the way of racing, going out hard and these times that are run now…it's a great era for the 400m hurdles. I love to be a part of it and also leading it."

The same can be said for the women's event and Bol was an event more dominant winner of her race, taking a chunk from her championships record of 52.67 by running 52.49 and overtaking Olympic champion and world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's world lead of 52.70.

French national champion Louise Maraval was a distance second in 54.23, while Bol was joined on the podium by fellow Dutchwoman Cathelijn Peeters (54.37).

Bol admits she is a different athlete to the one that left Munich two years ago with four gold medals – in the 400m hurdles, 400m, Mixed 4x400m relay and Women's 4x400m relay – and she was very much running her own race in Rome.

When she is so far clear of the opposition so quickly, what does she do to maintain her focus?

"I visualise that I'm running towards someone – doing that always helps me a lot," she said. "And an atmosphere like this also helps a lot. You hear that crowd and you want to do well for them.

"Two years ago I was on a mission for two golds [400m and 400m hurdles] but this time it was a different mission – I just wanted to put my race together. It's a very different feeling but it's still a really nice one."

Britain's Lina Nielsen was seventh in 55.65 in what was her first major final and admitted "the occasion got to me a little bit", losing momentum after hitting the third hurdle.

It has not been an easy time for the 28-year-old and her twin sister Lavia, after they witnessed their coach Tony Lester suffering a cardiac arrest. She reported that he was doing well and has left hospital, albeit there are some problems with his short-term memory.

"He's okay now. We love and care for him so much – he's become almost a father figure to us – and we witnessed the whole thing [happening]," said Lina. "It took two days for him to wake up, then we held our breath for two days and then we flew out here."

For more Euro Champs coverage from Rome, click here

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