Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added another historic chapter to her extraordinary career on Thursday 18 at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, powering to her first world title in the women’s 400m flat.
The American star, already a two-time Olympic champion and six-time world record breaker in the 400m hurdles, stopped the clock at 47.78 seconds, the second-fastest time in history and just shy of Marita Koch’s long-standing world record of 47.60 set in 1985.
Full Results – Women’s 400m Final (Tokyo 2025):
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) – 47.78 CR (0.171)
- Marileidy Paulino (DOM) – 47.98 NR (0.183)
- Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) – 48.19 SB (0.189)
- Natalia Bukowiecka (POL) – 49.27 SB (0.168)
- Amber Anning (GBR) – 49.36 SB (0.175)
- Roxana Gómez (CUB) – 49.48 NR (0.195)
- Henriette Jæger (NOR) – 49.74 (0.148)
- Nickisha Pryce (JAM) – 49.97 (0.158)
McLaughlin-Levrone, who has dominated the 400m hurdles in recent years, became the first athlete to win world titles in both one-lap events. Her performance also shattered the championship record, which had stood since the inaugural edition in 1983, confirming her place among the greatest sprinters of all time.
Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic took silver with a national record of 47.98, while Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser secured bronze in 48.19. Rising talents Natalia Bukowiecka and Amber Anning also delivered lifetime bests to place fourth and fifth respectively.
For McLaughlin-Levrone, the triumph was particularly special, as she had initially considered switching to the flat 400m at the 2023 Worlds before injury forced her withdrawal. Choosing the event this season for a fresh challenge, she has now proven her versatility and dominance on the global stage, cementing her reputation as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
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