“Reality was much more ordinary” - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on how her first Olympic experience defied expectations

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a popular American track and field athlete who has dominated the 400-meter hurdles. From winning an Olympic gold medal to setting a world record, McLaughlin-Levrone has added multiple feathers to her illustrious cap. The athlete once reflected on how her first Olympic experience defied expectations.

McLaughlin-Levrone, during the 2021 U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, ran a blazing 400-meter hurdles, setting a world record of 51.90 seconds. She later broke her record at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing the 400-meter hurdles in 51.46 seconds. The athlete won her second Olympic gold in the 4x400 meter relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. McLaughlin-Levrone headed into the 2024 Paris Olympics with the same form and broke her record to claim her third Olympic gold in the 400-meter hurdles.

The American track and field sensation opened up about her first-ever Olympic experience and how she defied expectations. In her book "Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith", Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone talked about her time at the Rio Olympics in 2016 when she was just sixteen.

"I always had this sense that being in an Olympic race would somehow feel different. I’d never analyzed what that meant. I guess I just thought the spotlight was so big and the moment so extraordinary that it caused athletes to become the best possible version of themselves. I’d spent countless hours imagining the experience."

Talking about her expectations and reality of the event, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone mentioned,

"Broken limbs, tears streaming down my face, just an absolute mess. The camera would zoom in on me, writhing in pain, the Olympic rings framing the bottom of the screen. My teenage imagination was something else. Instead, the reality was much more ordinary. I didn’t sleep great the night before the first qualifying heat in Rio, like any other race."

During the warm-ups at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the athlete opened up about standing next to Jamaican Olympic medalist Ristananna Bailey-Cole, calling Jamaica the heavyweight of track and field, producing the fastest men and women runners.

---

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins the Prefontaine Classic 400 meters

The American track and field star has bagged another race win under her belt. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her first Prefontaine Classic 400-meter race with 49.43, her season's best time. It was not the best race for McLaughlin-Levrone, but the athlete was happy with her outing. Aaliyah Butler finished close to McLaughlin-Levrone with 49.86 on the clock to win the second podium spot, while Isabella Whittaker took the third spot with 50.81.

The American track and field sensation will be heading to Memphis for the Ed Murphey Classic on July 11 and July 12, challenging the American record in the open 400 meters.