Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has spent the past few years rewriting track and field history. With four Olympic gold medals and a stranglehold on the 400m hurdles, she has cemented herself as one of the greatest athletes of her generation.
Yet, rather than resting on her laurels, the 24-year-old phenom is pushing into uncharted territory, testing her speed in the 100m and 100m hurdles.
2004 Olympic 100m champion and seasoned sprint analyst Justin Gatlin, recently broke down McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance on the Tidal League podcast.
“It’d be very, very difficult to bet against Sydney, especially in her premier event or any other event she steps into,” Gatlin said.
“She’s not the kind of person who throws herself into a competition unprepared. She does her homework, studies her races, and executes with precision.”
Gatlin pointed to her recent performances at the Grand Slam Track meet in Jamaica, where she obliterated the 400m hurdles field in 52.76 seconds, just a second off her own world record, before cruising to a 50.32 victory in the flat 400m. The ease with which she dropped a sub-51-second lap left Gatlin stunned.
“She made it look effortless,” he admitted.
But Gatlin also highlighted the significance of her rivalry with Dalilah Muhammad, the former queen of the 400m hurdles.
“When Sydney came onto the scene, Muhammad was the standard. But Sydney didn’t just catch up, she completely redefined the event,” he said.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is now setting her sights on shorter distances. She confirmed plans to race the 100m and 100m hurdles at an upcoming meet in Philadelphia.
“We might do the hundred-meter hurdles. We might do the two or four. It’s going to be a little of everything. I just want to see where I fare up with the best of the best,” she explained.
Given her explosive speed and flawless mechanics, experts believe she could be competitive in the sprints. If she succeeds, she’ll join an elite group of athletes like Allyson Felix and Marion Jones, who mastered multiple disciplines.
