Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has reacted gracefully after being nominated for the 2025 ESPY Award for Best Athlete.
The announcement places her alongside an elite group of nominees, including sprinter Gabby Thomas, gymnast Simone Biles, and WNBA star A’ja Wilson. The 2025 ESPYS will be held on July 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Taking to her Instagram story, McLaughlin-Levrone shared her excitement with fans, writing:
“Nominated for an ESPY🥹 proud of all the faith + hard work being recognized! You guys can vote for me here! Thanks all!❤️”
The 25-year-old is currently in the middle of a busy and experimental outdoor season. Known for her dominance in the 400m hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone has recently been testing herself in unfamiliar territory. At the third stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Track Series, she competed in both the 100m hurdles and the 100m flat, two events far removed from her usual specialty.
On Day 1 of the meet, she lined up for the 100m hurdles and clocked 12.70 seconds to finish fifth, a surprising result for an athlete of her caliber. However, she rebounded strongly on Day 2, running a solid 11.21 seconds in the 100m dash to take second place.
This shift in events hasn’t slowed her momentum. Earlier in April, McLaughlin-Levrone opened her 2025 campaign in style at the Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, where she won both the 400m hurdles and the 400m flat, taking home a cool $100,000 in bonuses. Meanwhile, her winning time of 52.76 in the hurdles remains a clear message.
Now, all eyes turn to the 2025 Prefontaine Classic set for July. McLaughlin-Levrone is expected to compete again as she fine-tunes her form ahead of major championships.
Hall of Fame
In addition to her ESPY nod, McLaughlin-Levrone was also recently inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. She joins a star-studded 2025 class that includes entertainers Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, CNN’s Dana Bash, and others.