Femke Bol's coach, Laurent Meuwly receives World Athletics Coaching Achievement Award

Femke Bol's coach Laurent Meuwly has received the World Athletics 2023 Coaching Achievement Award.

Meuwly is the head of sprinting, hurdles, and relays in the Netherlands, working with athletes including Bol.

In 2023, not only did Meuwly help guide Bol to her world 400m Hurdles title, but their work saw the Dutch star improve her European record to 51.45s – the third-fastest performance of all time behind the 50.68s and 51.41s performances achieved by world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 2022.

Bol also became a world record-holder in 2023, clocking 49.26s at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn in February to improve the 41-year-old world indoor 400m record.

She ran a world indoor 500m best of 1:05.63 in Boston and ended her indoor campaign by gaining double gold at the European Indoor Championships, winning the 400m and forming part of the victorious national record-breaking 4x400m team alongside Lieke Klaver, Eveline Saalberg and Cathelijn Peeters.

The Coaching Achievement Award recognises coaches who have made outstanding achievements and contributions to develop, encourage and strengthen coaching at all levels in athletics. It is the first honour celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.