Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s unexpected fifth-place finish in the 100m hurdles at the Grand Slam Track Meet left fans stunned and sparked conversations across the athletics world.
But while many viewed the result as a surprising setback, former sprint king Justin Gatlin saw it differently.
Justin Gatlin’s Take
Speaking passionately on the Ready Set Go podcast, four time Olympic Medalist Justin Gatlin made it clear that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s competitive fire remains as fierce as ever.
“She got fifth , she’s not going to come across that line and say, ‘Oh, that was pretty good. I’m happy with that,’” he said.
“She’s gonna come across the line like, ‘Man, I need to do better. Let’s run it back.’”
Despite the finish, Gatlin was impressed by what he saw, a world-class athlete experimenting, testing her speed and rhythm in an event far removed from her usual 400m hurdles dominance.
He likened her race approach to a tough interval workout rather than an all-out sprint, a calculated move that could pay off when it matters most.
The real question, he says, is which event Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will focus on for the LA 2028 Olympics.
“I want to see if Syd is going to stick with the short hurdles and 100 for LA or if she’s going to jump back into the 400 hurdles and the open four,” he mused.
A Sprinter Who Hurdles, and Does It Well
What sets Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone apart, Gatlin argued, is her rare versatility, the kind seen in legends like Gail Devers.
“She’s a sprinter that hurdles,” he emphasized.
“She does both of them very well.”
Gatlin also wondered aloud why more coaches don’t encourage dual-event athletes at major meets, considering the ample recovery time between rounds.
“It works for championships,” Gatlin noted.
“I’d love to see somebody like her with that superior foot speed… If she really took it seriously and trained for it, she could definitely go sub-11.1.”
From Fear to Freedom
The recent race also pulls back the curtain on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s deeply personal journey. Before she was shattering world records and redefining the 400m hurdles, the Olympic champion was quietly wrestling with inner turmoil.
In a revealing interview with The Athletic, she opened up about battling overwhelming anxiety and the crushing pressure of perfection.
“I lived a lot of my life in fear,” she admitted.
“Fear of not pleasing the Lord, fear of not being loved by people, for me, winning was the only option,” she confessed.
Now 25, McLaughlin-Levrone is no longer running from fear. She’s running toward freedom, embracing the uncertainty of new events, new challenges, and a redefined identity both on and off the track.
The Next Chapter Starts Now
Her fifth-place finish may have shocked the track world, but for Justin Gatlin, it’s just another chapter in an extraordinary story.
“She’s out there doing what she needs to do,” Gatlin warned.
“Whoever was playing with her, they better stop playing.”
Whether it’s the 100m hurdles, the 400m hurdles, or an open sprint, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone isn’t finished.