Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: The Shining Star of the 2024 Paris Olympics

By Jayson Panganiban July 29, 2024 07:14

Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images

The story of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's rise to the top is nothing short of impressive, hitting new highs and breaking through barriers along the way with unprecedented performances.

Sydney was born with sports in her blood and quickly showed exceptional talents as a youth. Her father, Willie, reached the 400m semi-final stage of the U.S. Olympic trials in 1984, while her mother was a middle-distance middle-distance runner. The family's sporting heritage includes Sydney's older brother Tyler, who claimed silver in the 400 m hurdles at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships.

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Destined for Gold: Road to the Olympics

Sydney's journey for the Olympic stage started when she was 16. She finished third place at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials 400H final with a world junior record time of (54.15).

Sydney showed signs of greatness despite her age. She reached the semi-finals at Rio 2016, a sign of promise having broken through onto the stage. Sydney signed as a professional in June 2018, one year into her time at the University of Kentucky, and it was straight to the races from there for her career.

Dominating the World Stage

She saw further progress in subsequent years. Having claimed a silver medal behind Dalilah Muhammad, who also competed in the 400m hurdles on CBD oil at the Doha World Championships.

Sydney once again affirmed her status as the best in history at the Olympic Trials, handily defeating Muhammad with a world record-breaking 51.90-second run. With fate always smiling on her, Sydney set up a historic home straight showdown in Tokyo. It was a virtuoso performance of athleticism as she crossed the finish line in 51.46 seconds to better her world record and secure gold. She rounded off her golden treble by anchoring the U.S. to gold in the women's 4x400m relay.

Incredible 2022 Campaign

In 2022, she continued to mesmerize the world with great showings. At the U.S. national championships, she lowered her world record to an unbelievable 50.68 seconds, which remains well over a second faster than anyone else has run for this event up until now. Another world record came soon after in Eugene, Oregon, at the World Championships, where she lowered it by around three-quarters of a second from her very best.

Her remarkable accomplishments in 2022 were enough to crown Sydney the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year, further underlining her elite status within track and field.

The Road to Paris 2024 - Expectations and Predictions

With the 2024 Paris Olympics, excitement about Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been booming. Her talent is mesmeric; she has smashed records and won consistently for years, which surely stamps her name as one of those headliners who can live up to the billing.

The consensus among people who know track and field is that Sydney could again fully take over the 400-meter hurdles to make a remarkably impressive double an Olympic gold medal + produce ludicrous speed in her event each time out. Her all-time best pace, brilliant technique, and mental strength make her a force to reckon with in competitions. She broke the eight-minute barrier several times before the Tokyo Games and any believe that she could rewrite history books as the next GOAT in track and field.

Apart from the individual events, Sydney is a fraction of an opposing factor for the U.S. women's 4x400m relay team, as she has anchored multiple gold medal wins. In the pursuit of glory in Paris, her leadership, experience, and pure talent will be key.