Former Kentucky star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks own world record for Olympic gold
It was yet another world record-breaking performance for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday.
The former University of Kentucky star has now broken the world record in the 400-meter hurdles six times after finishing in 50.37 seconds. She also won the gold medal in the 400 hurdles in Tokyo, the only woman to do so twice in that event at the Olympics.
“I’m grateful to God for this opportunity, grateful to be celebrating my 25th birthday like this,” McLaughlin-Levrone, whose birthday was Wednesday, said in a report on NBC’s Olympics website. “Just a super opportunity, you can’t even imagine.”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s previous world record was 50.65 seconds, set at this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.
“Obviously, there are people next to you and they’re going to push you, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t focus on the barriers in front of you,” McLaughlin-Levrone said, according to a report by ESPN. “That was my focus, trying to be as efficient as I could over my 10 hurdles and trying to lower that time every time.”
She is expected to run in the 4x400-meter relay later this week.
“I’m always here if they need me,” she said afterward.
Fellow American Anna Cockrell ran a personal-best 51.87 for silver while the Netherlands’ Femke Bol took bronze in 52.15.
Shortly after McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominant effort, another former UK track and field star earned a medal.
Daniel Roberts took silver behind fellow American Grant Holloway in the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Roberts held off Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell in a photo finish.
Holloway ran the 110-meter hurdles in 12.99 seconds. Roberts ran the race in 13.09, just fractions of a second faster than Broadbell.
There’s NO catching Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone!
She adds ANOTHER 400m hurdles gold medal and WORLD RECORD to her collection. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/RJ7reApKfV— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
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Former UK stars McLaughlin-Levrone, Russell sweep women’s hurdles at U.S. Olympic Trials
