Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is set to light up the USATF Championships, this time as a 400m flat runner. Known for shattering the 400m hurdles world record an astonishing six times, McLaughlin-Levrone brings that same dominance and star power to the flat quarter-mile. Any track and field fan tuning in to watch Noah Lyles in the 100m won’t want to miss her performance, especially with reports swirling that she has her sights set on the American 400m record. But what if I tell you her races are cut short?
She had nearly shattered the American 400 m record in 2023, clocking a blistering 48.74s at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, just 0.04s shy of Sanya Richards‑Ross’s 48.70 national mark, making her the second-fastest American ever in the event. Coming into the 2025 season, she did win the 400m title at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in a season-best 49.43 seconds, but her reaction afterward clearly suggested she was anything but satisfied. She flatly stated, “Disappointment. I just know that I’m more fit than that,” explaining that, despite cruising to victory, she believed she could have executed better and gone faster. The sprinting legend is clearly behind the record. Well, the bad news is she will have one less opportunity.
In one of its recent reports, USATF has announced that, “The 200m for US Nationals men has been cut down from 3 rounds to 2 rounds. The 400m has been cut down 2 to rounds. The women 100m hurdles been cut down to 2 rounds.” This is happening because the entries are cut. According to a detailed preview of the 2025 U.S. Outdoor Championships, entry fields in events like the men’s 200m, men’s 400m, and women’s 100m hurdles are much smaller than in previous years, so much so that USTAF is consolidating heats and eliminating semifinals to streamline the meet.
The 200m for US Nationals men has been cut down from 3 rounds to 2 rounds.
The 400m has been cut down 2 to rounds.
The women 100m hurdles been cut down to 2 rounds.
And many more.
— Raes Take TV (@RaesTake) July 30, 2025
In 2019 and earlier editions, these sprint events consistently fielded up to 32 athletes, triggering a full three-round bracket. In contrast, for 2025, entry lists in those key events were small enough that semis were deemed unnecessary. This is another bad news for the USATF championship if we take the NBC blunder into account as well.
This report is developing…
The post New Problems At USATF Nationals As Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Event Receives Cut Amid NBC Streaming Blunder appeared first on EssentiallySports.