Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a world record time of 50.37 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This performance surpassed her previous global mark of 50.65 seconds, continuing her trend of lowering the time standard for the event. She remains a dominant figure in American athletics, holding multiple records across sprint and hurdle disciplines.
Early Development and High School Career
Born in 1999 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, McLaughlin-Levrone began her athletic progression at Union Catholic Regional High School. She gained national attention early, setting an age-14 world best in the 100-meter hurdles in 2014. By 2015, she secured gold at the World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. Her high school tenure included setting multiple national prep records, including a 54.46-second finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 2016, which eclipsed existing junior and youth benchmarks.
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In 2016, she placed third at the U.S. Olympic Trials, becoming the youngest American track athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games since 1980. While she did not reach the finals in Rio de Janeiro, she continued to evolve as a competitor. In 2017, she contributed to a world-record indoor distance medley relay performance in Boston. By 2019, she had secured a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the World Athletics Championships and claimed the Diamond League title.
Global Dominance and Record Breaking
McLaughlin-Levrone became the first woman to break the 52-second barrier in the 400-meter hurdles in June 2021, followed by a sub-51-second performance in July 2022. Her career includes gold medals in both the 400-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. She further solidified her status by winning gold in the same events at the 2022 and 2025 World Athletics Championships, where she also set a championship record of 47.78 seconds in the flat 400 meters.
Fast facts
- Born: 1999, New Brunswick, United States
- Primary Events: 400m hurdles, 400m sprint
- 2024 Olympic Record: 50.37 seconds
- Education: Union Catholic Regional High School
- World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year: 2022, 2025
Questions readers ask
What is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's world record in the 400m hurdles?
She holds the world record with a time of 50.37 seconds, set on August 8, 2024.
How many Olympic gold medals has she won?
She has won gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay.
Achievements
- Competed at the 2020 United States Olympic Trials – women's 400 metres hurdles
- Competed at the 2021 athletics at the Summer Olympics – women's 400 metres hurdles
- Competed at the 2021 athletics at the Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 400 metres relay
- Competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- 2019 World Championships in Athletics – women's 4 × 400 metres relay
- 2019 World Championships in Athletics – women's 400 metres hurdles
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