‘My joy is in my faith’ – Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals her drive for success to keep breaking new boundaries AS She lines up for a blockbuster Prefontaine Classic debut in the 400m, with the American record in sight. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s personal best 400m time is just .04 seconds off the American record.
‘My joy is in my faith’ – Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals her drive for success to keep breaking new boundaries
World Record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone credited her faith in God responsible as her drive for success, and has the same mentality ahead of the Grand Slam Track in Philadelphia.
Two-time Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is one of the most dominant athletes in track and field history, having a career gold-lined with record-breaking accomplishments from her youth to current senior level.
The American hurdling queen is the women’s 400mH World Record (WR) holder, setting the astonishing time of 50.37s at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – her sixth time breaking her own WR, thus becoming the first track athlete to break four WRs in the same event; setting four during 13 months.
Despite her dominance in the women’s 400mH, McLaughlin-Levrone will step down to compete in the Short Sprints Hurdles category at the Grand Slam Track in Philadelphia, with fans eagerly anticipating how well she’ll perform or extend her dominance in the events (100mH and 100m).
Speaking at the Press Conference, when asked what brings her joy in her drive for success to keep setting new boundaries, the 2022 world champion said:
“But ultimately whatever the result is has no bearing on my peace.”
McLaughlin-Levrone is never one to shy away from her faith in God as she has always openly spoken about how it has helped her through her career.
“Records come and go, but the Glory of God is Eternal. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace through faith, Jesus has given me everything. I credit all that I do to God. Regardless of what happens, He’s going to get the praise. Every time I step on the track I pray ‘Let me be the vessel in which you’re glorified’… that’s why I do what I do,” she said after breaking her WR for the sixth time and becoming the first woman to defend an Olympic 400mH title.
With 100m personal best time of 11.07s set in 2018 and 12.65s in the 100mH clocked in 2021, she’ll be racing against accomplished hurdlers and sprinters in the event such as the Jamaican duo of Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent.
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A win or fast times in both events for the 25-year-old will surely set her on the right path for another possible world record in her trademark event – the 400mH, at the World Championships in Tokyo this summer.
With 100m personal best time of 11.07s set in 2018 and 12.65s in the 100mH clocked in 2021, she’ll be racing against accomplished hurdlers and sprinters in the event such as the Jamaican duo of Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent.
A win or fast times in both events for the 25-year-old will surely set her on the right path for another possible world record in her trademark event – the 400mH, at the World Championships in Tokyo this summer.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lines up for a blockbuster Prefontaine Classic debut in the 400m, with the American record in sight
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s personal best 400m time is just .04 seconds off the American record.
The stars are aligning for four-time Olympic gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ahead of her 2025 Prefontaine Classic (Eugene Diamond League) debut at Hayward Field in Oregon on Saturday, 5 July. Although, she won’t be competing in her signature 400m hurdles, where she holds the world record, but rather, flexing her sprint speed in the 400m flat.
Though a non-Diamond League event, the 400m race is shaping up to be a marquee showdown as McLaughlin-Levrone looks to better her 48.74 second mark, which she set at Hayward Field during the 2023 U.S. Championships. A time that sits just 0.04 seconds off the American record of 48.70 seconds, set by Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.
At a pre-event press conference on 4 July, McLaughlin-Levrone was hesitant to talk about chasing records, instead offering praise for Richards-Ross: “It’s a great record. Sanya is an amazing athlete.” McLaughlin-Levrone added, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to run it free. It’s my first time, and I’m really hoping to go out there and execute it—I’ve got to focus on myself and see what happens.”
In a lighthearted moment, the lane draw results were revealed during the press conference, and McLaughlin-Levrone lit up. “I hope it’s five,” she said. “I’ve had some great races in five.” She got her wish—lane five, the same lane at Hayward where she set her personal best in 2023.
Her presence alone raises the stakes, but McLaughlin-Levrone will face heavy competition, including from her compatriots, NCAA outdoor champion Aaliyah Butler (49.26 SB) and Alexis Holmes, who raced on the gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team at Paris 2024 alongside hurdles legend. World Indoor Champion Amber Anning (49.96 SB), isn’t to be discounted either ahead of the hotly anticipated race.
New events are shaping Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone into a “better all-around athlete.”
McLaughlin-Levrone has embraced the challenge of testing herself in new athletics events this season. She’s expanded her range even further beyond the 400m, stepping up to the starting line in both the 100m and 100m hurdles.
“It’s been fun to challenge myself in those kinds of ways,” McLaughlin-Levrone said, adding that it’s helped her become a “better all-around athlete.” She continued, “Putting myself in compromising positions that I wouldn’t normally be in has mentally and physically made me stronger in the events I focus on most.”
But will the three-time World Champion continue exploring new events as she heads into the U.S. Trials and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo? That remains to be seen.
“Tomorrow will tell us a lot about where we are and what we decide to do,” she said. “I think all options are open. That’s what’s exciting about it.
“We’ll focus on the 400 and make decisions from there.”
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