Bol clocks fastest ever indoor 500m

Dutch runner becomes first woman to break 1:06, with time of 1min 05.63sec at Boston Grand Prix

NEW YORK:

Olympic and world 400m hurdles medallist Femke Bol opened her season with a bang Saturday, clocking the fastest women's indoor 500m ever with a time of 1min 05.63sec at the Boston Indoor Grand Prix.

The Dutch runner became the first woman to break 1:06 at the distance, breaking the previous world best of 1:06.31 set by Russian Olesya Krasnomovets-Forsheva on January 7, 2006.

"I was thinking I was behind the pace," said the 22-year-old, who is coming off a stellar 2022 season that saw her win European titles in the 400m hurdles, 400m flat and 4x400m relay.

She also won 400m hurdles silver at the World Championships and bronze at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

"I hoped to get close to the world record, but I've never run 500," the 22-year-old said.

"Indoors, it's the first race, you have no idea at the end," she said. "You train hard but you know when you start competing. I'm happy to go like this. I think it's even faster than we expected."

Jamaica's Leah Anderson was a distant second in 1:08.34.

Bol said she'd been contemplating testing herself over 500m for some time.

"I think it's never a bad thing to run a bit longer because I hope the 400 will feel a bit easier then," she said.

But asked if she might someday be seen in an 800m her answer was an emphatic "no!"

Among other early results at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold event, American Heather MacLean won the women's 1,500m in a world leading 4:06.07, and American Grant Holloway won the men's 60m hurdles in a world leading 7.38sec.