World Athletics Championships 2025: Femke Bol Obliterates the Field to Defend Her 400m Hurdles Title

Femke Bol successfully defended her 400m hurdles world title following a blistering run in the final at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

Bol, who had come into the race as the fovourite, lived up to the billing with a great run to retain her title, having left her rivals by a big gap.

The Dutchwoman clocked a world leading time of 51.54 seconds ahead of a really strong Jasmine Jones, the American running a personal best of 52.08 seconds for silver, as Slovakian Emma Zapletalova won bronze in a time of 53.00 seconds.

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Bol’s work was made easier by the absence of two-time Olympics and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who opted out of the race in Tokyo to focus on the 400m flat, for which she won gold in the second fastest time in history on Thursday.

The American had been favourite to reclaim the world 400m hurdles title from Bol after she missed the 2023 edition through injury but she decided to test new waters and ended up with a gold medal.

With McLaughlin-Levrone out, the path was smooth for Bol, who retained her title with ease after obliterating the field at the National stadium in Tokyo.