Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a living legend in the sport of track and field, and she's looking to make history once more in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She's broken the world record in her signature event, the 400-meters hurdles, five consecutive times— her current record at a staggering 50.65 seconds. In Paris, McLaughlin-Levrone is determined not only to defend her world record and bring home another gold medal, but she's also vying to be the first woman in history to break fifty seconds in this event. Let's look at how far this powerhouse of an athlete has come, the hurdles she's overcome (literally!), and beyond.
McLaughlin-Levrone at the US Olympic Qualifiers
Before Going Pro:
Sydney McLaughlin was born and in New Jersey to an outstanding family of athletes. Her father Willie McLaughlin made the semifinals for the 400m race at the 1984 US Olympic trials and her mother Mary was a high school athlete with a 2:12 half-mile. Sydney's siblings are also no strangers at all to track and field. Her older sister Morgan ran for St. Peter's University in New Jersey and older brother Tyler even won silver running the 400m hurdles at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships. Even younger brother Ryan was a star athlete at New Jersey's Union Catholic.
It was clear from an early age that Sydney would be extraordinary. At just sixteen, McLaughlin became the youngest American track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics since 1980 while simultaneously setting a world junior record in the 400m hurdles in the process— and she did it before her senior year of high school! At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, McLaughlin got knocked out in the semi-finals, but it was already clear what a phenomenon she would prove to be.
Dominating The Track:
In June 2018, after only a year at the University of Kentucky, McLaughlin would finally go professional. Coached by Bobby Kersee and sponsored by New Balance, she dominated the 400-meters hurdles. She soon started a fierce rivalry with Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad, who specialized in the same event. In the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, McLaughlin just barely lost out on the gold to Muhammad herself. However, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, McLaughlin would beat her own world record with a blazing time of 51.46, nabbing the gold from Muhammad.
Since then, McLaughlin's reign over the 400mH has been undeniable. In the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, McLaughlin-Levrone (whose surname had changed after getting married just a month prior!) one-upped her world record twice, winning her signature event once again. In the 2024 US Track and Field Olympic Qualifiers, McLaughlin-Levrone shaved off three-hundredths of a second of her world record, breaking it for the fifth time. Her chokehold on the event cannot be understated.
McLaughlin-Levrone setting her fifth 400mH world record
The Secret To Her Success:
Key aspects regarding McLaughlin-Levrone's running form and style have consistently allowed her to surpass her competitors time and time again. To put it simply: she is very, very fast. The speed that she can generate in non-hurdles events is "not typical of a 400 hurdler," according to 400mH gold medalist Lashinda Demus. Demus also said that McLaughlin-Levrone "has [the] foot speed to run with the top sprinters in the world," which gives her a significant advantage over her opponents, especially in the first and final stretches of the race.
Additionally, McLaughlin-Levrone and coach Kersee have worked together for years to perfect her technique and stride pattern. While most of her competitors will take fifteen steps between hurdles, she will only take fourteen. Though taking longer strides will of course require more energy, it is inherently faster and McLaughlin-Levrone can pull it off with ease. Another key advantage is that she can clear hurdles with either foot— the hurdling equivalent of being ambidextrous. This versatility allows her to escape the devastating stutter step, a hurdling mishap that can drain a run of a lot of speed. These factors combined let McLaughlin-Levrone cruise through this very technical event and stay number one.
A Recent Setback:
McLaughlin-Levrone was notably absent from the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The decision to withdraw was due to a "minor knee issue" bothering her. Although it did not require surgery, she and her coach had found it best to sit out of the championships in favor of peak fitness for the Paris Games. So far, it seems that they have made the right decision. Since then, McLaughlin-Levrone set another world record, and she has set herself up to be a clear favorite to win another gold.
McLaughlin-Levrone winning her 400mH semifinal in Paris
Paris 2024:
As of August 4th, 2024, McLaughlin-Levrone's only Paris performance has been the first round of the 400mH. In that race, she easily coasted to a spot in the semifinals, finishing over a second ahead of second place with a time of 53.60. The highly anticipated final for the 400mH is expected to feature a head-to-head between McLaughlin-Levrone and Dutch athlete Femke Bol— the only two female athletes who've run the 400mH in under fifty-one seconds.
Bol won the 2023 tournament that McLaughlin-Levrone withdrew from, which makes her the current world champion. Bol also just won her first Olympic gold through an incredible comeback performance in the mixed 4x400m race, barely stealing the win from Team USA. Though Bol has been on a winning streak as of late, McLaughlin-Levrone has revealed her intentions to defend her gold and possibly bring her world record down to a sub-fifty, making the 400mH final on August 8th one to look out for.
Though McLaughlin-Levrone specializes in the 400mH, she has also been known to participate in the women's 4x400m. In the Tokyo Games, she worked alongside Allyson Felix, Athing Mu, and none other than Dalilah Muhammad to bring home the gold. She's looking to defend this win in Paris as well, which will unfold on August 9th.
Bol, who placed 2nd, congratulates winner McLaughlin-Levrone at the 2022 World Athletics Championships
Conclusion:
All in all, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has proven to be one of the most influential and significant track stars in recent years, and her journey is far from over. With so much up for grabs at the ongoing Paris Olympics, it's thrilling to think what this champion will accomplish in the days to come.
Sources:
Barnes, Katie. “Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Guide to 400m Hurdle Olympic Gold.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40698875/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-guide-paris-olympics-gold-medal-400-meter-hurdles. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
Paris 2024 Athletics: How to Watch Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Live - Full Schedule, olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-how-to-watch-sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-schedule. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
Staff, NBC New York. “Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Clips Hurdle, but Comfortably Sails through First Paris Race.” NBC New York, NBC New York, 4 Aug. 2024, www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-hurdles-watch/5668091/. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | Biography, Competitions, Wins and Medals, olympics.com/en/athletes/sydney-mclaughlin. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
“Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: Road to Paris.” NBC Olympics, www.nbcolympics.com/news/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-road-paris. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.