The 400-meter hurdles world record holder and Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is creating quite a stir with her recent track and field performances. At the recent Oxy Invitational in Los Angeles, she won two individual short-distance events but withdrew from many 400-meter sprint races this outdoor season at the last minute.
Her withdrawal from the 400-meter hurdles, has sparked a wave of skepticism and criticism throughout the track and field community. It is to be noted that when she made her Olympic season debut in 2023, her fans were not impressed, as she missed half of the season due to an injury.
Champion persona backfires
This season, McLaughlin-Levrone’s 400-meter hurdle performance has come under scrutiny, particularly when she withdrew from the 2023 World Championships. Only twice, in June 2023, has she completed the distance internationally, recording impressive times of 49.71 and 49.51.
Despite being among the top 10 fastest women in history with a 48.74 at the 2023 U.S. titles, her reluctance to compete in her main event led fans to speculate.
McLaughlin-Levrone reaffirmed her intention to compete in the 400-meter hurdles, as did her coach, Bobby Kersee. Moreover, the athlete stated that she wished to look into the flat 400m without compromising her dedication to the hurdles. Her incredible 400-meter success from the previous year, along with her unmatched victory in the hurdles, demonstrate her versatility and her ability to change the course of track and field history.
Source: EssentiallySports