"Nothing is ever guaranteed from year to year" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about learning her biggest lesson as an athlete

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once opened up about learning an important lesson as an athlete in her career. Throughout her illustrious career, she has gained immense experience and wisdom.

McLaughlin-Levrone made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Games, becoming the youngest American athlete to make the national Track and Field team since 1972. Four years later, she represented the team in Tokyo and secured two gold medals in her pet event, 400m hurdles, and the women's 4x400m relay event.

McLaughlin-Levrone defended both her titles at the Paris Games. Following her debut Olympic victory, she reflected on her journey and shared the biggest lesson she learned, which was to focus on her own path rather than comparing it to others. Further, she highlighted that while the journey keeps changing every year, success comes from staying in the present and capitalizing on every opportunity.

McLaughlin-Levrone said in 2021, via Time:

"The biggest lesson the sport has ever taught me at this moment in time, is really to just focus on your lane," McLaughlin-Levrone said. "Everybody’s journey in the sport looks different. Nothing is ever guaranteed from year to year. So, taking the opportunities that you have in front of you and not looking around at what everyone else is doing. It’s so much easier said than done.

"But truly for me, focusing on my lane and my 10 hurdles, whatever that looks like in whatever capacity, truly does make the difference instead of running somebody else’s race.”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone highlights the difference between 400m hurdles and 100m

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone during the Grand Slam Track at Philadelphia. (Photo by Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has consistently shown her dominance in the women's 4x400m relay race. She dominated the event at the first two editions of the Grand Slam Track. After posting 52.76 seconds in Kingston, she bettered the time with 52.07 seconds in Miami.

However, McLaughlin-Levrone fixed her eyes on transitioning to a shorter distance for the third stop of the event. Ahead of her 100m race, she expressed her thoughts about the event, via the NYTimes:

“It’s a completely different energy system. It’s so ballistic; shooting out of the blocks, toe dragging. To create this force in a linear line down the track is so different than the grace that the 400m gives if you don’t have the best block start. That doesn’t exist in the 100m. It’s definitely been a shift these past few weeks, but it’s been great to work on sprint mechanics, block start and hurdle technique, because those are all things — even though they aren’t as important in longer races — which can still be of benefit down the line.”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competed in her first pro 100m race at the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia, where she settled in second place with 11.21 seconds after following Ackera Nugent (11.11 seconds).