Femke Bol announced on Tuesday that she will not participate in any individual indoor races in 2025, opting to focus on relays and eventually outdoor season.
In a detailed social media post, Bol explained that she is making changes to the way she normally kicks off her season and will spend time away from competition.
“After the last Olympic cycle with years full of amazing competitions indoor and outdoors, we’ve decided to do it a bit different this year,” Bol said in her post. “I’m training hard and preparing myself for another successful year on the track, but I also felt that I needed a bit more time away from competing. Therefore I have decided to not race individually this indoor season”
Bol, 24, is a 400m hurdles standout but has also adapted to event outside of her speciality, becoming a powerhouse for The Netherlands in relays and the 400m.
She set the world indoor 400m record with a 49.17 performance at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow last year. It leaves the field will wide open since Bol will not defend her indoor title in Nanjing, China in March.
At the Paris Olympics last August, Bol’s strong anchor leg pushed The Netherlands to gold in the mix 4x400m relay along with silver in the women’s 4x400m relay. She later won bronze in the 400m hurdles behind a record-breaking effort from Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
“It gives me the opportunity to have some more time processing everything that has happened and prioritize more things outside of the sports that are important to me,” Bol added in her post. “However, I cannot and do not want to miss a chance to compete at a home championship!!! So I will be racing in Apeldoorn at the European Indoor Championships in the relays and lucky enough it’s the first time there’s also a mixed relay!”
However, Bol will make an appearance at the European Indoor Championships on March 6-9 in Apeldoorn in The Netherlands.
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