One of many biggest hurdlers in historical past has taken an enormous leap by switching to the 800m and will likely be a part of arguably essentially the most extremely anticipated occasion at Birmingham 2026.
“I feel she’s additionally in a position to carry out over 800m,” stated Laurent Meuwly, chatting with AW on the finish of 2023. The Swiss coach was discussing his Dutch star pupil, Femke Broeders-Bol, who had been voted Worldwide Feminine Athlete of the 12 months within the journal’s annual awards following a summer season during which she had turn into the 400m hurdles world champion.
To try this, beneath Meuwly’s steerage she had successfully re-learned an occasion at which she was already exceptionally good – by switching to a stride sample that may maximise her strengths and produce higher pace. It wasn’t simply her performances over the obstacles that had caught the attention, although.
Earlier within the 12 months, she had taken down Jarmila Kratochvilova’s world indoor 400m document that had stood for 41 years, clocking 49.26 to win the Dutch indoor title (a mark she lowered to 49.17 on the World Indoor Championships 12 months later). Throughout that 2023 indoor season, in Boston, she additionally recorded a world indoor better of 1:05.63 for 500m.
“She confirmed in Boston that she has this effectivity, and she or he’s fairly good in all of the endurance classes due to it,” added Meuwly. “I can think about [the 800m] may additionally be an possibility.”
Quick ahead to August 2026 and that possibility has been taken. The 400m hurdles has been left behind, the 26-year-old who has a mixed tally of 11 European Championships gold medals indoors and outdoor, now stands getting ready to her first championships as a two-lap competitor and, as soon as once more, she has proven herself to be greater than keen to be taught new expertise.
That’s courageous sufficient in itself however much more brave when you think about that Broeders-Bol may barely have picked a harder time to enter the world of ladies’s 800m working. It has been an occasion on the centre of a fast evolution lately, however there was a noticeable gear change in 2026.
Audrey Werro of Switzerland has turn into the third-fastest lady in historical past, working 1:53.98 in Stockholm after which 1:53.80 in Paris. Reigning European and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, in the meantime – who beat Werro to the world indoor title in March – took her personal British document right down to 1:54.33 in Sweden and has made no secret of her pursuit of the world document of 1:53.28, albeit accidents have hampered that mission up to now.
Broeders-Bol will come up towards each in some of the hotly anticipated occasions on the European Championships in Birmingham and has proven herself to be a quick learner. After a primary critical try at 800m indoors, working 1:59.07 in February, she had harm struggles of her personal however, this summer season, has already lowered her greatest to the 1:55.60 she produced in coming second to Werro within the French capital on the finish of June. She additionally completed intently behind Hodgkinson eventually month’s London Athletics Meet.
Femke, how are you dealing with this new individual, the 800m runner, that you have turn into?
I feel it suits me effectively. I am actually having fun with it. I actually benefit from the coaching and the way it’s going.
What is the hardest factor you’ve got needed to get your head round?
The mindset change. I used to be a great endurance 400m runner, and pace was not my robust half, and now on the 800m, I am a really speedy 800m runner and my endurance wants quite a lot of work. This was a giant mindset change.
You ran 1:59 in Metz however you picked up a critical harm and needed to take a month out. Now you’ve got had 5 out of doors races, it is actually creating. What do you’re feeling your potential is?
It’s fairly loopy for me, really. I did not anticipate the instances to be this quick already. I knew it was a giant change, I knew it might be very totally different. I wanted to be taught the occasion, I wanted to be taught to race, and thus far the races have been executed fairly like my coach needed. The outcomes have been method higher than I even anticipated.
I feel it is actually cool that I am in an period the place there are such good 800m athletes, like Keely, Audrey and likewise Georgia [Hunter Bell]. The extent is so excessive, however I am not at that stage but, so I am simply having fun with my very own bubble. With the 800m, I take pleasure in being new. I really feel a bit like a younger athlete discovering every thing, not likely being afraid to fail as a result of what do you need to lose at this level? For now I am simply having fun with not figuring out what my potential is. I feel it is enjoyable.
How would you evaluate the 400m hurdles and 800m – the diploma of psychological toughness wanted, the discomfort, the ache you need to undergo in that final 200m?
It is laborious to check, however I feel it is only a totally different type of ache and I’ve needed to get used to this totally different type of ache. With the 400m hurdles, at one level you hit a wall and also you simply know your pace goes to go down, down, down, down and you’ll see the end line. With the 800m, the wall isn’t as excessive, however the wall begins lots earlier. So for me now, round 500m, I begin to assume: ‘I am actually beginning to get a bit drained’, but it surely’s a ache you may push via for lots longer whereas, with the 400m and 400m hurdles, you may attempt to push via it however at one level you may see the lactic taking up. It is simply fully totally different. However, on the finish of the day, you need to have some type of sense of liking pushing via that ache, or nearly liking the ache, if you wish to be a 400m or an 800m runner.
What have you ever loved most in regards to the technique of taking up a brand new occasion? Has it given a freshness to your profession?
For positive. In fact, in coaching quite a lot of issues are totally different from earlier than and I actually like that I did not go in the identical method I [would usually go] yearly. It is a big change, and I actually like that I can uncover myself in a brand new method. I am a little bit of an older athlete however, like I stated, I actually really feel a bit like a younger athlete, seeing, “The place are my boundaries? How is that this going to be?”.
In quite a lot of classes, I am going fully into the unknown, having no clue how powerful it will likely be or how enjoyable it will likely be. It is a half I actually take pleasure in – I get to problem myself in new methods, get to develop myself in new methods, and actually turn into a unique athlete.
Individuals will take a look at the world document and go, „Kratochvilova was a 400m runner who ran 47.99” and you have run a 47.9 relay leg, in addition to sub 50 seconds for 400m many instances. You convey that pace and pace endurance to 800m that really no one else within the 800m group does in the intervening time – they don’t seem to be breaking 50. After one other two or three winters of laborious coaching and power work, lots of people will put two and two collectively. Does Laurent Meuwly make you retain your ft on the bottom, or does he say: ‘Femke, you may break the world document sooner or later’?
I feel, if it was that simple, much more 400m runners would have modified in direction of the 800m. He’ll at all times preserve my ft on the bottom. I feel he does know, particularly now going into a brand new occasion, I are likely to underestimate myself a bit extra usually than I’d overestimate myself. So I feel he tries to steadiness this a bit for me. However he additionally is aware of he may give me stress if he says issues like that, and it would not work as a result of we at all times work in targets.
We work in small targets in direction of a giant one. We should be sensible, must see the place we’re at now, what we are able to enhance and, if sooner or later it will likely be sensible, he’ll speak to me about it. However we simply are seeing how it’s proper now, the following targets, the following issues we wish to enhance and I feel that is the easiest way.
What are your expectations for the European Championships in Birmingham?
That is a tricky one for me. I hear from everybody that competing within the 800m at a championships is totally different to racing 800m at Diamond Leagues. I’ve watched quite a lot of races to see how folks do it, however I am used to doing the 400m hurdles. You go in, you realize your form, you realize if you happen to can chill a bit at some hurdles or not, if it can save you some vitality, and you realize that, if you happen to do what you are able to do, you normally make it to the following spherical.
However, with the center distances, you may see favourites going out within the heats or within the semis as a result of they make tactical errors so I feel for me it will likely be a giant studying curve on the Europeans.
In fact I hope to get into the ultimate, then give it my greatest and see what it brings me however I am largely simply very curious how a championship 800m will likely be, how I’ll really feel after the 800s going into the 4x400s as a result of I additionally nonetheless have the 4x400s. I am largely actually excited and curious to start out this a part of my 800m journey as a result of it is one you can not actually follow till you’re on the match, so it will likely be enjoyable.
The 400m hurdles is a really technical occasion and there is a lot to consider whereas the 800m is easy working, gun to tape. Have you ever finished something to accommodate that additional headspace since you’re not having to fret a couple of stride sample, you are simply questioning about how the race goes to go? Have you ever turn into a pupil of the occasion, for instance? Have you ever checked out tapes of nice 800m races and studied them?
Sure, for positive. We’re fortunate that the Diamond League places one video of all of the races of the season on-line, so you may simply watch quite a lot of them again. However I feel this was crucial.
It is fully totally different however the identical factor is that you’ve got some rhythm in there. With the 400m hurdles, you may have rhythm and within the 800m too. You do have some distractions within the 400m hurdles however, on the 400m flat, there was no distraction. You have been working in your lane.
Within the 800m, you may have folks round you however I actually attempt to watch quite a lot of issues so you may see how folks additionally reply in sure conditions as a result of I feel, by seeing them, you mechanically visualise them a bit, and if you happen to ever are available in contact with [those scenarios], you may have already run it as soon as in your head.
However there has additionally been quite a lot of speaking about it. I spoke with Ellen van Langen, our 800m Olympic champion from the Netherlands, and likewise Bram Som, one other nice 800m runner. I simply actually attempt to be taught and, on the identical time, I do know I must expertise sure issues as a result of I’d see the break and I’d be like: „How is that this individual now in entrance?” and now, whereas working it, you may really feel the way it feels to be with folks. However, sure, I take pleasure in watching quite a lot of races and studying from them.
Operating in lanes, you may’t affect what different runners are doing and you’ll’t work together with them, whereas within the 800m you completely do. You’ve got obtained to consider your positioning, protecting strikes and so forth. Is the primary problem for you the truth that you are having to get used to working with our bodies round you?
Sure and I feel working with them, but in addition preparing for it, is totally totally different. I actually like my plan A to work. That’s how I work and, for the 400m hurdles, I’d write my plan precisely with the coach – “that is how we wish to execute the race”. It did not matter what others would do – I wanted to stay in my very own head in my very own lane. With the 800m, I can have an ideal plan however, if three folks have a unique plan, I can’t execute that plan.
It’s very totally different for me that I haven’t got management about it. For the 400m hurdles you at all times had management about your personal race.
However now, if this individual needs one thing else, the issue is in your lane, and you could determine the right way to do it. So that is one thing I really want to be taught – that I’ll have plan A-Z, and typically I’ve to do plan Z, and it does not imply I’ll have a nasty race. However mentally it is a actually massive change.
Have you ever hung out Audrey’s races and Keely’s races, studied the best way they run and their strengths and weaknesses?
I’ve studied them. I have never seen it in [terms of] “these are their strengths, these are their weaknesses”, however extra in how they race, as a result of they each race otherwise. I additionally take a look at [former Olympic champion] Athing Mu, for instance and the way she races as a result of everyone seems to be their very own athlete and has totally different qualities. And I feel it is actually attention-grabbing to see this within the 800m – that there are such a lot of folks after which, ultimately, like at a world remaining, they’re simply put collectively and want to determine how somebody goes to win the race. There’s a lot you may be taught from watching, and never simply one of the best, but in addition the folks perhaps extra within the center who must struggle for his or her spot as a result of that is one thing I am actually not used to and one thing I may even must be taught. It is actually cool to look at.
Femke Broeders-Bol’s 800m story thus far
February 8 – 1:59.07, Metz (indoors)
June 16 – 1:57.13, Ostrava
June 21 – 1:57.41, Hengelo
June 28 – 1:55.60, Paris
July 18 – 1:56.46, London
