"I take it very seriously"- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on following in footsteps of Sanya Richards-Ross & Allyson Felix and inspiring others

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on being inspired by Sanya Richards-Ross and Allyson Felix and on encouraging the next generation. She shared that she feels honoured to be considered a role model and a source of inspiration for young athletes.

McLaughlin-Levrone is the current 400m hurdles world record holder, having broken the record six times. She is also a four-time Olympic champion and has won three gold medals at the World Championships in the event, making her one of the most successful athletes in the discipline’s history.

In an interview with Olympics.com, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke candidly about being a role model and acknowledged the responsibility that comes with being admired. She shared that she once looked up to Sanya Richards-Ross and Allyson Felix and now places great importance on inspiring the next generation by influencing them in the right way. She said:

"It's really an honour to have young athletes want to look up to me in any way, shape, or form. I definitely take that as a responsibility to represent well so that they are looking at someone that they can want to model. [Someone] who's going to do things correctly and in a humble and honourable way. It's just really special.

"I think I was that girl for so long, like, wow, look at Allyson [Felix], look at Sanya [Richards-Ross], look at these amazing athletes. So being in that position now, I take it very seriously. And there's really sweet, sweet moments when you hear people's stories and how your journey has impacted their journey,” she added.

The 26-year-old will be testing herself in a new event in the coming days as she will feature at the World Athletics Championships 2025 scheduled from September 13 to 21 in the 400m flat.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on difference between 400m and 400m hurdles

2025 USATF Outdoor Championships - Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on the strategic differences between running the 400m flat and the 400m hurdles. In an interview with Olympics.com, she shared her thoughts on the major difference between the two disciplines, adding:

"The 400 is just more of a mental game than the hurdles. "You would think, you know, hurdling - the steps, there's a lot more thinking involved (in flat). I miss the hurdles a little bit when I'm running."

Although she acknowledged that she missed competing in the 400m hurdles this season, she added that the experience of running in flat has been a 'mental gain' that has helped her grow as an athlete in a way that she thought she didn't need to.

In the absence of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400m hurdles, reigning world champion Femke Bol, former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad who is in her final season and Olympic silver medalist Anna Cockrell will enter as the medal favorites in the event in Tokyo.