"Work on my hurdle technique" - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up about transitioning to new event after back-to-back wins

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hinted at competing in a new event, the short hurdles, after achieving remarkable success in her pet event, the 400m hurdles. She collected her second Grand Slam Track title in Miami in the 400m event. She posted a stunning time of 49.69 seconds to win in Miami by surpassing heptathlete Anna Hall and Jamaican athlete Andrenette Knight, who clocked 51.68 and 51.80 seconds, respectively.

McLaughlin-Levrone won the 400m hurdles title at the inaugural edition of Grand Slam Track, where she listed 52.76 seconds. Following her recent win in Miami, when the Olympian was asked whether she might change category in the Philadelphia edition of the Grand Slam Track, McLaughlin-Levrone highlighted the need to improve her technique, given the tough competition in short hurdles.

"If we are actually gonna go to the short hurdles, definitely wanna work on my hurdle technique for sure and those girls are running really fast, so I would love to go out there, challenge myself. I would love to hopefully PR and challenge myself in the one which would just help me with my sprint mechanics, help me with my hurdle technique and yeah just put myself in a different position than I'm used to."

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks down the skills required for competing in the 400m hurdles event

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the United States during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo via Getty Images) McLaughlin-Levron

After dominating the 400m hurdles event for a brief time, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expressed her view on the skills required to compete in the event. She has shattered the world record in the women's 400m hurdles six times. Her latest world record in the event was registered at the 2024 Paris Games, where she posted 50.37 seconds.

McLaughlin-Levrone became the first female athlete to record a sub-51 time in the event in 2022. Outlining the skills required for the event, she said:

"It requires the speed, strength, endurance, and flexibility to be able to hurdle. It requires the skill to be able to switch legs when you get tired or whatever. So, I really feel like it is one of the most grueling events because you're running full speed, be strong enough to hold it, and be flexible and wise enough to know which leg to take each hurdle with."

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will be next seen competing at the Philadelphia edition of the Grand Slam Track, which will be held from May 30, 2025.

About the author

Janhavi is a Sports Management graduate working as a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She emphasizes meticulous research and fact-checking before creating content, relying on multiple sources including social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, as well as various sports publications.

She has competed in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event at the national level alongside renowned athletes such as Anjali Bhagwat, Apurvi Chandela, and Anjum Moudgil, which further fueled her passion for the sport.

Abhinav Bindra is her favorite Olympian, and she particularly cherishes his and Neeraj Chopra's gold medal victories as they revolutionized Indian athletes' mindset towards achieving sporting excellence.

If given the opportunity to introduce a new sport to the Olympics, she would choose American Football for its widespread appeal and intense competition. Apart from reporting on the latest news in the world of Olympics, she likes to immerse herself in reading, painting, and traveling.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam