“It was too much pressure”- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on emotional buildup before World Championships final against top rivals

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on the emotional and mental challenges she faced in the lead-up to the 400m hurdles final at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. After earning the fastest qualifying time of 52.17s, she admitted she was eager to race immediately rather than wait two more days for the final.

McLaughlin-Levrone described the waiting period for the final as the most mentally demanding part of the week, calling it tougher than the race itself. She saw the final as one of the most important races of her career and added that she felt overwhelmed by the weight of expectations she placed on herself.

In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, released in January 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about this emotional state. She wrote:

“I didn’t want to wait two days for the final. I would have run it that night if I could. I felt better than I’d ever felt physically. And I just wanted the race to be over with. Dealing with the tension over the next two days was mentally exhausting.”

“The day before the finals, there were moments when I felt tears starting to well up. It was too much pressure,” she also mentioned.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared that her husband Andre played a big role in helping her stay calm ahead of the race. In the final, McLaughlin-Levrone delivered a remarkable performance, breaking her own world record, previously set at 51.41s at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

She clocked 50.68s to become the world champion in the event for the first time, finishing well ahead of her top rivals. Femke Bol took silver in 52.27s, while Dalilah Muhammad earned bronze in 53.13s.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflects on rivalry with competitors

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at Grand Slam Track Philadelphia (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

During an interview with Grand Track Slams’ podcast interviewer Tiara Williams in February 2025, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on how she sees her rivals. She also mentioned during the interview that she dislikes when rivalries are pushed too much by the media, while off-the-field, competitors have respect for one another, adding (1:32 onwards):

“I respect all of my competitors and I know that there are some very fast women in this sport. Some of the rivalry talk sometimes gets to a point where it almost turns into, like, hatred, and that’s what I don’t like. If you saw the conversations behind closed doors, it’s nothing but respect.”

“You get on the line to compete but at the end of the day we all respect each other and that's what to me that kind of shows,” she further mentioned.

The American further talked about how she received criticism for not being expressive on the track. McLaughlin-Levrone shared the reason behind it, saying that she seems reserved because she is focused on delivering her best.