'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on a moment that reshaped her expectations of college life. She opened up about how she initially believed that college would be a more mature, drama-free environment compared to high school.
However, her experience as a freshman at the University of Kentucky made her see things differently. Just two weeks into joining the track and field team, she witnessed a shocking incident between two teammates during a meeting. While it started as a conversation between both parties, it escalated into an ugly physical fight that involved scratching, swearing, and screaming in front of her, leaving a deep impression on her.
In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, released in January 2024, the four-time Olympic champion opened up on how her perspective changed about her college life, adding:
Trending
“It made me sick to my stomach, not just because it was the first time I’d watched a disagreement turn violent but also because it shattered my innocent belief that the kind of drama I’d seen in high school wouldn’t happen in college. I’d assumed that during this new life stage I’d be surrounded by mature people, individuals who weren’t interested in drama.”
“I seriously don’t know what I was thinking. I must have believed I was moving to Mars. It was becoming more and more clear that no matter where I went, I wasn’t going to escape conflict. I couldn’t run from it. People were still going to be people. Words still hurt, feelings still existed, and problems still arose,” she added.
Notably, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone left the University of Kentucky after her freshman year to turn professional in June 2018. During her only season with the Kentucky Wildcats, she won the NCAA title in the 400m hurdles with a dominant 53.96s, well ahead of runner-up Anna Cockrell, who finished with a time of 55.71s.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to next race at USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is set to compete in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. So far, in the 2025 season, she has featured in three Grand Slam Track meets and the Prefontaine Classic.
However, instead of competing in her signature hurdles event, she will participate in the 400m flat, implying she may be bidding for a different individual world title at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, provided she qualifies.
In the 2025 season, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competed in three 400m races, including two as part of Grand Slam Track’s long hurdles race group in Miami and Kingston. She won both events, clocking 49.69s in Miami and 50.32s in Kingston. She also competed in the 400m at the Prefontaine Classic, clocking 49.43s, a time which currently ranks her sixth-fastest in the world this season.
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are taking place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, from July 31 to August 3 and will serve as a qualification event, with top performers earning their place at the global championships.
