Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone started her Grand Slam Track campaign in Jamaica the way only she can. The venue was Kingston, the air was heavy with expectation, and what were the stakes? No heats, no second chances. Just one lap to get it right. On Day 1, she exploded in the 400m hurdles, stopping the clock at a then world-leading 52.76. No one came close. Then, without flinching, she switched lanes, literally and figuratively. Day 2, the 400m flat. No barriers this time, just her against the wind and the clock. She ruled it, crossing in 50.32, grinding through brutal conditions to clinch the overall long hurdles title.
And guess what? She lined up again in Miami — same event group, the long hurdles, the one some fans had called too comfortable for her. Well, she has responded in style! Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone did it again. Just when the whispers of being too comfortable began to circle her long hurdle dominance, she stepped onto the track in Miami and shut them down with authority.
In her signature event, the women’s 400m hurdles, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder made it look smooth, but don’t let that fool you. She clocked a blistering 52.07 — a world lead — and made it look effortless. But was it? Not quite. “I say they never run the 400 hurdles,” she said right after crossing the line. “It may look like a cakewalk, but I feel it in my legs. I mean, that’s why I love to switch it up, challenge myself. I mean, the 400 hurdles is my baby. If you feel like that’s a cakewalk, I mean, I’ve done it for so many years, I hope it’s getting easier by now.”
Andrenette Knight of Jamaica trailed over two seconds behind at 54.08, with Anna Hall, better known for the heptathlon, impressing for third in 54.48
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone responds to critics saying she doesn’t push herself in her main event (400H). She won today’s 400H with a WL52.07
She’ll be competing in the 100 and 100 hurdles in the next slam pic.twitter.com/CVllCtsc6k
— Serenity Douglas (@_serenityd) May 3, 2025
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