NEWS ROUNDUP: Broeders-Bol to debut, Duplantis relocates, seeks world record and Belarus rejected by World Athletics

Femke Broeders-Bol outdoor debut

Dutch 400 metre and 400 metre track phenomr Femke Broeders-Bol will make her long-anticipated outdoor 800m debut at the 45th annual FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands on Sunday June 21. This will be the latest move in her potential permanent move up to the two-lap distance event after announcing her switch in October 2025.

The two-time world 400m hurdles champion has already offered run the 800m. The 26-year-old multi European record holder recorded a 1:59.07 in her 800m race as a professional. It was an indoor race where she clocked in the solid debut time at the L’Anneau-Halle d’athlétisme de Metz, Metz.

Between 2021 and 2025 Broeders-Bol earned 11 World Championships and Olympic medals, gold, silver and bronze including one Olympic gold and three Worlds golds.

Her European and national records:

Belarus rejected

World Athletics rejected the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendation to remove the ban on Belarusian athletes and teams competing under the flag of their nation should be lifted.

On Thursday, the IOC’s executive board recommended international sports federations and event organisers to allow the country to return to international competition, while keeping restrictions on Russia in place.

Both Russie and Belarus were suspended from Olympic competition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Belarus a close ally of Russia. A partial ban allowing athletes to compete as neutrals was introduced in 2023. This suspension overlapped or continued the original ban on the Eastern European countries as they were systematically doping athletes.

The IOC said “Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter.”

Clearly World Athletics does not agree.

The IOC, echoing retired head Thomas Bach’s attitude it “reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict.”

Bach’s position changed from time to time as to whether Russia and Belarus were compliant and the athletes should be permitted to compete. New president Kirsty Coventry continues the stance. President of World Athletics Sebastian Coe, who ran against Coventry for the IOC position, disagrees.

However, in response, a spokesperson for World Athletics said, “As a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, World Athletics sanctions implemented in March 2022 excluding Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials and supporting personnel from competition remain in place.”

Armand Duplantis

Pole vault legend Armand Duplantis is seeking his 16th world record at the Monaco Diamond league event on July 11th when he confirmed his participation on Thursday.

The double Olympic and triple world champion set his first world record of 6.17m in 2020. He has since vaulted as high as 6.31m in Sweden in March.

The 26-year-old recently relocated to Monaco after living in the United States and Sweden. Duplantis is half Swedish. He holds both Swedish and American citizenship.

Duplantis record at 6m and higher