FEMKE BOL AND Karsten Warholm underlined all their class by wrapping up dominant victories in the men and women’s 400m hurdles at the European championships in Rome on Tuesday.
Reigning world champion Bol clocked a world leading time of 52.49 seconds in a totally dominant victory — coming home a massive 1.74 seconds clear of her nearest rival.
Running with her trademark upright style in lane six, the Dutch star moved smoothly into the lead from the gun and held it easily through to the tape for a second successive European crown and new championship record.
France’s Louise Maraval claimed silver in a personal best of 54.23, with another Dutch athlete, Cathelijn Peeters, taking bronze in 54.37.
Bol, 24, had been looking to repeat her triple gold showing from the last Euros in Munich, but after finishing third behind Ireland in the 4x400m mixed relay, might now have to suffice with two.
She will now turn her attention to Wednesday evening’s 4x400m relay final (8.06pm), where Ireland will once again be among the opposition.
A few minutes earlier, Norway’s Warholm won a third successive European title after previously winning in Berlin in 2018 and Munich in 2022.
Warholm, the Olympic champion and a three-time world gold medallist, set a new championship record of 46.98 seconds for the victory ahead of Italian Alessandro Sibilio, who took silver in 47.50sec, and Sweden’s Carl Bengtstrom bronze in 47.94, both national records.
Warholm, who is also world record holder in the event, is known for his kamikaze starts and there was no deviation from the script at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Norwegian, in lane eight, hared out of his starting blocks and was already past Bengtstrom, on his outside, by the second of the 10 hurdles.
He motored away down the far straight before crushing the bend into the home stretch.
Running in new spikes in a bid to improve his final 200 metres, Warholm looked to tire coming into the line, but victory was never in doubt.
Sibilio ran a fantastic race on Warholm’s shoulder, while Bengtstrom did well to recover from being overtaken by the Norwegian so early on.
On a relatively quiet night of Irish involvement, Anika Thompson and Laura Mooney finished 20th and 26th respectively in Tuesday’s 10,000m final, won by home favourite Nadia Battocletti of Italy (30:51.32).
Thompson crossed in 33:19.42, with Mooney following in 34:03.94.
