Bol and Warholm in a class of their own in Rome

Star hurdlers light up the Olympic Stadium as they capture more European titles in record-breaking style

Two European Championships 400m hurdles finals. Two extraordinary athletes. Two clear victories. Two championships records in Rome.

Karsten Warholm and Femke Bol are at the vanguard of two of the most hotly contested events in world athletics at the moment, and both showed themselves to be a class apart from their continental counterparts. Now comes the biggest item on their to do lists – taking on the world at the Paris Olympics.

Warholm is, of course, the defending Olympic champion after his jaw-dropping and world record-breaking victory in Tokyo almost three years ago. Yet though this was his third consecutive European 400m hurdles title and though he won it by breaking his own championships record with a time of 46.98, the air of invincibility that usually surrounds the Norwegian does not appear to be entirely there. Yet.

To quote the man himself, he did indeed go “out like a rocket” but didn’t look entirely comfortable over the final two hurdles. The outcome of the race was never in doubt but Italy’s former European U23 champion Alessandro Sibilio began to close on his way to 47.50, while Swedish world indoor 400m bronze medallist Carl Bengtstrom clocked 47.94.

That both were carried to national records in his slipstream perhaps highlights just how strong Warholm’s influence is and how high the standards are that he sets.

The three-time world champion insists his body is giving him the answers that he wants to hear and, though the Olympic clock is ticking, now is not the time to be peaking – even if Brazilian Alison Dos Santos has already applied some pressure with his world lead of 46.63, followed by Rai Benjamin’s 46.64.

Warholm’s season’s best is 46.70 and after his third 400m hurdles race of the year (including the qualifying heats here) Warholm said: “It never goes out of style, winning a gold. It gives me a great feeling and it’s something that I really, really love. To get good answers from the body and win another gold medal… you know, you don’t get these chances every day so it’s super important to take advantage of them and to really push.

“At the start I felt like I went out like a rocket and these are the answers that I’m looking for. With the Europeans being a bit earlier in the year, I’ve been able to test a few things and I’ve been getting the right answers so for me the pace is where I want…