Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a world champion, records 2nd-fastest time ever in 400m
Not even the rain could stop Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from making more history.
On Thursday morning, McLaughlin-Levrone won the 400m flat at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after clocking in at 47.78 seconds, marking the second-fastest time ever recorded in history, trailing only Marita Koch’s (Germany) world record of 47.60 from 1985. The American became the first person to win world championships in both the 400m and 400m hurdles.
This comes after McLaughlin-Levrone set an American Record in the 400m during Wednesday’s semifinals with her time of 48.29 seconds. She smashed that time the following day to take home another gold. It feels good to say that the Fastest Woman Alive is a former Kentucky Wildcat.
Watch below as Syd dusts her competition despite running on a wet track.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world record breaker in the 400m hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone is now dominating in the flat 400m. This was her first time racing in the 400m at a global championship, which she was supposed to do back in 2023 before an injury pulled her out. It hasn’t taken her long to threaten the world record time, though, which has stood for 40 years now.
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In 2024, McLaughlin-Levrone was one of the most dominant athletes at the Paris Olympics, winning gold in the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay. Afterward, she was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Sydney spent one season at Kentucky, winning the 2018 NCAA title in the 400m hurdles after setting the still-standing collegiate record of 52.75 seconds. In January 2025, she was named the 2024 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, just the third woman to ever win the award.
Still only 26 years old, there is plenty left for McLaughlin-Levrone to accomplish. That 400m world record is in serious trouble…
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