METZ, France (Feb 8) – Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Femke Bol made a stunning debut over 800 meters on Sunday, clocking a Dutch indoor national record of 1:59.07 to win at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor Crédit Mutuel, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver event.
Femke Bol Stuns The Field
Bol, better known for her one-lap speed, became the first woman from the Netherlands to break the two‑minute barrier indoors, surpassing Ester Goossens’ 2001 mark of 2:00.01 set in Stockholm. The 25‑year‑old, who holds the world indoor 400m record with 49.17 seconds, moved to fifth on the 2026 world list and third in Europe for the short track 800m.
Running with characteristic composure, Bol followed the pacemaker through a brisk opening 200m just under 57 seconds. When the pace dropped to 32 seconds for the third 200m, she still held her rhythm through the final lap, maintaining form to cross the line strongly before collapsing on the track, visibly battling lactic acid buildup. Bol later smiled through celebrations after securing victory in her first international start over the distance.
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Swiss athletes Valentina Rosamilia and Lore Hoffman completed the podium. Rosamilia clocked an indoor personal best of 1:59.90 to finish second, while Hoffman took third in 1:59.91, also a personal best.
More Fast Times In Metz
In the men’s 800m, Algeria’s Mohamed Ali Gouaned delivered a commanding run to win in a meeting and national record of 1:44.67. France’s Jordan Terrasse followed in a personal best 1:45.57, ahead of compatriots Louey Ouerrat and Corentin Le Clezio, who also logged lifetime bests of 1:45.69 and 1:45.87, respectively.
European 10K champion Yann Schrub of France set a meeting record and national record with 7:29.38 to win the men’s 3000m, while Poland’s European 100m hurdles champion Pia Skrzyszowska (7.82) defeated Swiss world champion Ditaji Kambundji (7.87) to win the women’s 60m hurdles.
Femke Bol’s decision to move up in distance, announced last October, is already proving a successful experiment as the Dutch star eyes new challenges in 2026.
