Femke Bol Retains World 400m Hurdles Title in Tokyo with World-Leading 51.54s

Femke Bol of the Netherlands successfully defended her women's 400m hurdles world title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, finishing with a world-leading time of 51.54 seconds. This performance marked the fourth-fastest time of her career and her best at a major championship, improving on her previous win in Budapest two years ago. American Jasmine Jones earned silver with a personal best of 52.08 seconds, while Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova took bronze with a national record of 53.00 seconds. The absence of Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who focused on the 400m flat race, left Bol as the clear favorite, and she maintained an unbeaten streak of eight consecutive wins this season. Bol's victory came after another successful season, including an unbeaten Diamond League campaign and anchoring the Netherlands to silver in the mixed 4x400m relay. Despite missing McLaughlin-Levrone, Bol faced strong competition from American athletes but confirmed her dominance in the event with a commanding finish in Tokyo.