Bol makes sparkling Diamond League return as Tebogo struggles
Femke Bol, a triple medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, opened her 2025 individual season by cruising to victory in the 400m hurdles at the Diamond League meeting on Sunday in Rabat.
Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, who had planned to run both sprints, trailed in last in the men's 100m and did not compete in the 200m, although a second Botswanan Tshepiso Masalela had a better night, delivering another impressive victory in the men's 800m.
Bol had not competed in an individual race since September, running only in the relays in the European Indoor Championship.
On Sunday, the Dutchwoman ran 52.46sec, the second-fastest time in the world this year behind American Olympic champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Bol finished 1.44sec ahead of runner-up Andrenette Knight from Jamaica.
"It's a great start I had a good execution," said Bol, who has never lost a Diamond League 400m hurdles, a 25-race streak going back to 2020.
"I felt good in training, but it feels good to be back competing after so long."
In the men's 100m, South African Akani Simbine continued his unbeaten start to the season by winning in 9.95sec. Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala was second in 10.05sec, with American Fred Kerley a further 0.02sec back in third.
Tebogo eased off towards the end of the race to finish ninth and last in 10.43.
Tebogo won the 200m in Doha last week but sat out the race on Sunday, won by American Courtney Lindsey in 20.04sec.
The bang-bang schedule of a Diamond League meet means it is unusual for runners to double up, but, while Tebogo abandoned plans to run both sprints, Kerley did go again and collected another third place.
On the women's side, Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, twice 200m world champion, claimed her first victory of the season in the 100m, crossing the line in 11.04sec despite a poor start.
In the inaugural event at the Rabat stadium, rebuilt ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, Beatrice Chebet set an African record in the little-run 3000m metres.
Kenya's Chebet, Olympic champion at 5000m and 10,000m and multiple world record holder, finished in 8min 11.56sec, the second fastest time ever. The world record of 8:06.11 was set by Chinese runner Wang Junxia in 1993.
"My target was to run sub 8:20," said a delighted Chebet. "I see I can do more. The world record I see as possible."
Italian Nadia Battocletti was almost 15 seconds back in second.
Masalela won the men's 800m in 1:42.70 after winning the same event in the Doha Diamond League meet last week.
Moroccan double Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali ended the evening by giving the home fans a surprisingly close-run victory, holding off a late challenge from German Frederik Ruppert to win the men's 3000m steeplechase in 8:00.70.
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