Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has consistently claimed that her toughest competitor in any race is not her fellow athletes, but the 10 hurdles she must clear on the track.
Lately, though, it’s not even the hurdles that challenge her—it’s the clock.
In a stunning display of athletic prowess, McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles on Thursday night, finishing in an astonishing 50.37 seconds to defend her Olympic title. At just 25 years old, the American star has now set the world record an incredible six times.
Leading the pack from the final curve, she effortlessly charged down the homestretch, finishing 1.50 seconds ahead of her teammate, Anna Cockrell.
“Obviously, there are competitors next to you, and they’re going to push you, but if you don’t focus on the hurdles in front of you, it doesn’t matter,” McLaughlin-Levrone said after the race. “My focus was to be as efficient as possible over those 10 hurdles and to keep lowering my time each race.”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s previous record of 50.65 seconds was set on June 30 at the U.S. Olympic trials.
This race, hosted at the iconic Stade de France, was hyped as a showdown between McLaughlin-Levrone and Dutch rival Femke Bol. However, it was Cockrell who surprised many by securing second place, while Bol finished third, visibly disappointed as she walked down the track, shaking her head.
“I messed up,” Bol admitted. “I’m not sure where I made the mistake. I just hit a wall of lactic acid with 300 meters to go. I can’t explain it. This was just a bad race for me.”
As McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line, she glanced at the scoreboard and allowed herself a brief smile—she had once again made record-breaking look effortless.
Though she acknowledged there were still areas to refine, McLaughlin-Levrone is inching closer to her goal of running a perfect race and breaking into the 49-second range.
“It’s all about building up your legs’ capacity to handle such speed,” said McLaughlin-Levrone, who married former NFL player Andre Levrone Jr. in 2022.
With this victory, McLaughlin-Levrone improved her record to 3-0 against Bol. She previously defeated Bol at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, where Bol also placed third, and again at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon. McLaughlin-Levrone was sidelined with an injury during the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, where Bol claimed her first world title.
After the race, McLaughlin-Levrone offered Bol a consoling hug and some encouraging words.
“I told her, ‘You are amazing,'” McLaughlin-Levrone shared. “She only recently started hurdling, so she’s doing incredible.”
Cockrell also achieved a personal best, shaving 0.77 seconds off her previous record.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a showtime girl,” Cockrell said. “When the lights come on, I’m ready to perform.”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s success is a testament to her hard work under the guidance of coach Bobby Kersee. Over the past two years, she has been honing her skills mostly out of the public eye, focusing on sprints and shorter hurdles to build speed, technique, and experience.
All that preparation culminated in yet another record-breaking performance, witnessed by a packed stadium.
“I knew this was possible,” said McLaughlin-Levrone, who celebrated her birthday just the day before. “I knew it would probably take a world record to win this race.”
Afterward, she paraded around the track, proudly wearing a tiara brought by her sister-in-law.
“I was just hoping the race would be worthy of the tiara,” McLaughlin-Levrone joked.
A prodigy since her teenage years, McLaughlin-Levrone first competed in the Olympics at age 17 and has since continued to leave her mark on the sport. Originally from New Jersey, she attended the University of Kentucky and now resides in Los Angeles. In addition to her individual achievements, she also holds a gold medal from the Tokyo Games as part of the U.S. women’s 4×400 relay team.
As the Paris Olympics loom, McLaughlin-Levrone is ready to contribute once more.
“I’m always here,” she said confidently, “if they need me.”