The day before she lined up in the 400m hurdles at the Wanda Diamond League London last weekend, Femke Bol declared that she was in the form of her life.
"Training is going well and competition is too. I have never felt stronger and that is a great feeling going into the Olympics," said the Dutch star as she prepared for her second Diamond League appearance of the season and her final competition before heading to Paris.
Few could argue with her assessment. Just under a week earlier, Bol had run a new personal best of 50.95, moving to within just 0.3 seconds of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's world record.
Now, as she prepared to take on McLaughlin-Levrone in a rare head-to-head at the Olympics, the three-time Diamond League champion wanted to deliver another statement performance to throw down the gauntlet to her US rival.
There was little doubt that Bol was going to win at the London Stadium. The real question was how, and how quickly.
At the press conference, she had admitted that her coach wanted her to run less cautiously and be more aggressive through the first half of the race. Once on the track, she did just that, bursting out of the blocks and motoring away from a field which included the likes of the USA's Shamier Little and Jamaica's Rushell Clayton.
Having established an unassailable lead, Bol then did what she does best out of the final bend and soared down the home straight to wrap up her 22nd Diamond League victory in just four years.
As she crossed the line, the Wanda Diamond League's Official Timekeeper OMEGA clocked her at 51.30, a new Diamond League record which shaved 0.15 seconds off Bol's previous mark, which she set in the same stadium last season.
"I truly love to run here in this stadium, it is so special and to put on this great field it is fantastic. I am super happy with my performance today," said Bol after her triumph, before setting her sights on the one major title which has so far eluded her: Olympic gold.
"I am excited for Paris and of course I want to put on my best race there. I am looking forward to racing Sydney. That will push us both. I will be ready for it."
Watch the OMEGA Moment of the Meeting
