OSLO, Norway — Olympic bronze medalist Femke Bol will look to continue her promising start to the season when she competes in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Bislett Games 2022 – Oslo Diamond League meeting in Norway on Thursday (16).
Femke Bol looking to build on strong start in Oslo
Bol, who had a quality winter season where she set a new Dutch 400m indoor record with 50.30 seconds and finished second in the event at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia, in March, has started her outdoor campaign in fine form.
The European standout posted an all-time world best over the 300m hurdles when clocking a super-fast 36.86 seconds at the 2022 Golden Spike Meeting in Ostrava, at the end of May and then won a pair of 400m hurdles races to open her season in her specialty.
Bol clocked 53.94 secs at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games 2022 in Hengelo, and then lowered that season-best mark with a 53.02 to win the event at the Rome Diamond League meeting earlier this month.
On Thursday at the Bislett Games 2022, the talented 22-year-old who owns a personal best of 52.03 secs, set for the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games last August, will take on a solid field that could push her to break 53-seconds for the first time this year.
Anna Ryzhykova targets sub-53?
Leading the list of entrants down to challenge Bol in Oslo is European two-time silver medalist in the 400m hurdles, Anna Ryzhykova of Ukraine who is a sub-53 seconds runner in her best form.
Ryzhykova finished 5th in Tokyo last summer and was also a finalist at the World Championships in Doha in 2019. The 32-year-old has a season-best of 54.50 and finished third behind Bol in Rome.
Meanwhile, Olympic finalist Viktoriya Tkachuk, also from Ukraine, will aim at bettering her season-best of 54.81, set also in Rome this year when finishing seventh. The 27-year-old was 6th at the Olympic Games last summer and owns a PB of 53.76.
Since setting a national record with her 38.24 secs performance in the 300m hurdles in Ostrava, Tkachuk has been slowly progressing in the 400m hurdles and a time close to her PB on Thursday isn’t too far-fetched.
In the meantime, the field also includes Great Britain’s Lina Nielsen, who is coming off a PB performance in her last outing at the Rome Diamond League and her teammate and British 400m indoor champion Jessie Knight, who has been in good form this season and ran 54.09 for a PB last month.
Line Kloster and Amalie Hammild Iuel will be the home favorites lining up in the event at Bislett Stadion.
Bislett Games 2022 – Oslo Diamond League women’s 400m hurdles field
BOL, Femke NED 53.02 SB; 52.03 PB
RYZHYKOVA, Anna UKR 54.50 SB; 52.96 PB
TKACHUK, Viktoriya UKR 54.81 SB; 53.76 PB
KNIGHT, Jessie GBR 54.09 SB; 54.09 PB
NIELSEN, Lina GBR 54.73 SB; 54.73 PB
IUEL, Amalie NOR 56.77 SB; 54.72 PB
KLOSTER, Line NOR 54.99 SB; 54.99 PB
KRAFZIK, Carolina GER 57.05 SB; 54.72 PB
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