Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who recently celebrated her 25th birthday, is no stranger to the Olympic arena. The New Jersey native, who has shattered five world records, is gearing up for her third Olympic appearance in Paris, aiming to add to her medal tally with hopes of winning one or two more gold medals.
At just 16, McLaughlin-Levrone set the 400-meter hurdles world junior record at the 2016 US Olympic Trials with a time of 54.15, securing her place at the Rio Games, where she reached the semifinals. She returned stronger for the Tokyo Games, winning the 400-meter hurdles and narrowly defeating her American teammate Dalilah Muhammad by 0.12 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone was also part of the gold-medal-winning 4×400-meter relay team alongside Muhammad, Alison Felix, and Athing Mu.
Leading up to the Paris Games, she set a new world record in the 400-meter hurdles with an impressive time of 50.65 seconds at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on June 30. She is focused on achieving back-to-back Olympic golds in Paris.
Beyond her athletic prowess, McLaughlin-Levrone is known for her strong faith, her intriguing family background, and her ambition to elevate the sport of sprinting. Ahead of her competition on August 8, here are nine interesting facts about the world’s fastest 400-meter hurdler.
1. McLaughlin-Levrone comes from a family of runners. Her father, Willie McLaughlin, was a three-time NCAA All-American in the 400 meters and nearly made the Olympic team in 1984. Her mother, Mary, participated in the boys’ track team during high school. Growing up, the McLaughlin siblings were active in various sports, but track always stood out, influenced by a healthy sibling rivalry, including her brother Taylor, who competed at the University of Michigan and won silver at the World Junior Championships in the 400-meter hurdles.
2. She found inspiration in Sanya Richards-Ross. At nine years old, McLaughlin-Levrone was captivated watching Richards-Ross compete at the 2008 Beijing Games, where she won a bronze in the 400 meters and helped secure gold in the 4×400-meter relay. McLaughlin-Levrone recalls expressing her desire to emulate that success.
3. Her qualification for her first Olympics was a surprise. By middle school, McLaughlin-Levrone’s talent was evident, but she didn’t fully showcase it until the 2016 Olympic trials. She attended primarily for the experience, thinking qualifying for Team USA in the 400-meter hurdles would be impossible. Not only did she qualify, but she also beat the fourth-place runner by over half a second.
4. The University of Kentucky was a crucial step in her career. After high school, McLaughlin-Levrone faced the choice of turning pro or competing in the NCAA. She opted for Kentucky in 2017, a pivotal year that exposed her to intense training and high expectations, giving her insight into professional athletics.
5. Candy serves as her race fuel. Known as a “candy connoisseur,” McLaughlin-Levrone attributes part of her speed to her pre-race meals of gummy bears, Jolly Ranchers, and Starbursts. She claims that if there’s candy in her house, it doesn’t last longer than a day.
6. She is also a published author. In January, McLaughlin-Levrone released her first book, “Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.” In it, she shares her experiences managing fear and mental health challenges as a professional athlete, discussing how her faith helped her navigate issues like perfectionism, anxiety, and impostor syndrome.