METZ, France (Feb 7) – Dutch athletics star Femke Bol will step into new territory on Sunday when the two-time 400m hurdles world champion makes her 800m debut at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor Crédit Mutuel, part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver series.
Live coverage of the Metz meeting starts at 14:35 CET (08:35 EST) on Sunday, streamed via the European Athletics website, with live results available online. Watch The Live stream | Real-time updates are also available here. Meanwhile, viewers in North America and several other geographic territories outside of Europe can watch the race and the Metz meeting LIVE on FloTrack.
Bol, twice a world champion and one of track’s standout performers, will face a deep field as she tests herself over the two-lap distance at the L’Anneau-Halle d’athlétisme de Metz. The 25-year-old, who owns a 500m best of 1:05.63 from 2023, said she feels both excited and nervous about the challenge.
Fans and analysts are keen to see how fast she can go. While Bol has dominated the 400m and 400m hurdles, extending her range to 800m could open a new chapter in her career, especially with growing speculation about her middle-distance potential.
Her rivals on Sunday include three women who have personal bests faster than 1:59:00. The field includes European silver medalist Gabriela Gajanova of Slovakia, who holds an 800m personal best of 1:58.22 and recently set a national short-track record of 2:00.45. Switzerland’s Lore Hoffman, who clocked 2:00.69 in Madrid last week and has a PB of 1:58.29, as well as compatriot Valentina Rosamilia, who has a lifetime best of1:58.64. German Smilla Kolbe (1:59.02) and Italian Marta Zenoni (1:59.45) are also among the entries.
The women’s 800m headlines a strong programme that features Luxembourg’s world and European bronze medallist Patrizia van der Weken in the 60m, alongside Swiss sprinter Ajla Del Ponte. World 100m hurdles champion Ditaji Kambundji opens her indoor season in the 60m hurdles against Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska.
