'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgX/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM4kiif/xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgQFEgADESExYdH/2gAIAQEAAT8Ap6uHa1a0sHZ2hZCVispl4zyTpT6yGnroodgwQkHvz81//8QAGhEAAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAxJRkf/aAAgBAgEBPwC6lUfEaB7P/8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIzcaH/2gAIAQMBAT8AaNWvD//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on her carefree eating habits ahead of her Olympic debut at Rio 2016. She had qualified for her first Olympics following placing third in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
Ahead of her Olympics debut, she admitted struggling with exhaustion and the pressure she placed on herself. Despite training consistently, McLaughlin-Levrone acknowledged a lack of discipline, particularly when it came to nutrition.
In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith released in January 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared how her diet was unhealthy before her Olympic debut, which included eating large amounts of Twizzlers, going to Wendy’s for cheeseburgers. She stated:
Trending
“Not long after the trials, someone gave me a huge carton of Twizzlers. I don’t remember how many strings were in the box, but there must have been hundreds. I set it up next to my bed so that whenever I needed a pick-me-up, it was right there. It was empty long before I boarded the plane for Rio.”
“While I’m sure other athletes were probably tracking their diets, I was tracking my way to Wendy’s, ordering cheeseburgers…Besides, I was still a kid. How bad could it really hurt? There was also plenty of ignorance in each bite. I didn’t really care to know what foods would cause inflammation in my body,” the three-time world champion added.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone further shared how she was ignorant about nutrition at the time and viewed adults’ advice on eating well not as valuable guidance, but simply as nagging. However, she has since grown into the most dominant athlete in her discipline, holding the world record and breaking it on multiple occasions.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up after competing in short hurdles category at Grand Slam Track Philadelphia
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared her thoughts after competing in the short hurdles group at the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track. The hurdles star, who previously competed in the long hurdles group, switched to the short hurdles, which includes the 100m and 100m hurdles, as a way to test herself.
In her first professional 100m race, she finished second, and placed fifth in the 100m hurdles, securing an overall second place in the short hurdles category with 12 points, behind Ackera Nugent (24 points). Following the meet, McLaughlin-Levrone shared her reflections on her performance in an Instagram post.
“Took a risk, and regret nothing! Hills and valleys alike make the journey beautiful. Philly you were amazing! 🫶🏽🤍”
In addition to sharing her thoughts, McLaughlin-Levrone also posted highlights from the meet including a picture with a fan who missed her prom to witness the four-time Olympian champion compete in the race.
Some of the prominent track and field names who showed their support for the American hurdles star on the post were her training partner and former Olympic champion Athing Mu, former World Champion Emma Coburn and marathoner Sara Hall among others.
