American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone triumphed in the 400-meter hurdles, shattering her own world record in the Olympic final for the second consecutive Games. She crossed the finish line in 50.37 seconds, securing a dominant victory over her rival, Femke Bol of the Netherlands, in the final race of the evening.
The anticipation for the McLaughlin-Levrone/Bol clash reached fever pitch leading up to the race. The Stade de France was awash in orange as thousands of Dutch fans filled the stadium to cheer on Bol. Her performance in the last lap of the 4×400-meter mixed relay on Saturday night, which delivered gold for the Dutch team, appeared to be a message to McLaughlin-Levrone. Bol, who has received considerable attention, was a formidable threat.
McLaughlin-Levrone, however, remained undeterred. And she is almost certain to compete in the 4×400 relay this upcoming Saturday night, just as she did in Tokyo. The American women are the overwhelming favorites in that race; a victory would give McLaughlin her fourth career Olympic gold medal.
The victory for the Dunelin, N.J. native justified the strategic decision to keep McLaughlin-Levrone out of the mixed relay and forgo an ambitious attempt to compete in both the hurdles and flat events. Ever since McLaughlin-Levrone suffered a minor knee issue at last year’s world championships, her primary focus was on defending her gold in this race, on this night at the Olympics in Paris.
Similar to the pool, McLaughlin-Levrone maintains a more understated presence on the track compared to, say, Noah Lyles, who took bronze in the 200-meter race earlier in the night despite battling COVID-19. “Sydney McLaughlin possesses a quiet confidence,” Felix wrote about McLaughlin-Levrone in TIME in 2021, “that demands your attention.” (McLaughlin and her husband, former NFL player Andre Levrone Jr., wed in 2022). She released a book in January— —that detailed her struggles to live up to expectations. She doesn’t appear to particularly enjoy giving interviews or seeking commercial endorsements. “I love to sleep,” she confessed in a Women’s Health cover story that ran before the Games.
Her talent, however, ignites the track, nearly every time she competes. This repeat Olympic title was years in the making. McLaughlin is the daughter of runners; her father, Willie, reached the 400-meter semifinals at the 1984 Olympic trials, and her mother, Mary, ran in high school. “Track and field has always been part of our lives,” McLaughlin-Levrone told the . At the 2016 Rio Olympics, McLaughlin, then 16, became the youngest athlete to make the U.S. Track and Field team since 1972. In 2017, McLaughlin became the first person to be named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year for two straight years. She spent a year at the University of Kentucky before turning pro.
Now, every time McLaughlin-Levrone takes her position at the starting blocks, she is a threat to push her sport to new heights. Whether she’s facing Bol or any other competitor, make sure to mark your calendar for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and prepare to witness her greatness.