Sydney 400m-title-at-tokyo-2025/” title=”Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Runs Second-Fastest Time in World History to …”>McLaughlin-Levrone Shatters Barrier, Wins Olympic 400m Gold in Second-Fastest Time Ever
PARIS - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone claimed Olympic gold in the women’s 400m, crossing the finish line in 47.87 seconds – the second-fastest time in history. The victory on Thursday marks a significant achievement for the American athlete, who only began competing in the 400m flat in 2023.
Dominican Republic’s Fiordaliza cofil Paulino finished second with a time of 48.26, also breaking the 48-second barrier. McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach, Bobby Kersee, predicted someone would need to run in the 47-second range to win, stating, “She trained for it.She took on the challenge, took on the risk. She’s just an amazing athlete that I can have no complaints about.”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s win is her 19th consecutive victory in one-lap races – including both hurdles and flat events – dating back to June 2023. She previously focused on the 400m hurdles, winning Olympic gold in the event in both 2020 (Tokyo) and 2024 (Paris), progressively lowering the world record to its current mark of 50.37 seconds, set in Paris last year. Prior to the 2024 Olympics, she held the American record in the 400m flat at 48.29 seconds, set during the semifinals, breaking a 19-year-old record.
“At the end of the day, this wasn’t my title to hold onto, it was mine to gain,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “Bobby uses boxing terms all the time. He said, ‘You’ve got to go out there and take the belt. It’s not yours. You’ve got to go earn it.'”
Kersee believes McLaughlin-Levrone’s success in the 400m flat will translate to further improvements in her hurdle times, suggesting, “I think, now, 47 tells her that she can break 50.”
