American sprint legend Justin Gatlin has drawn a striking comparison between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance in the 400 meters and the revolutionary impact Usain Bolt had on the 100-meter sprint during his illustrious career.
At just 25, McLaughlin-Levrone has become a formidable force in track and field, boasting an unbeaten streak since her last loss at the 2019 World Championships. Her consistency is a testament to both her mental resilience and exceptional physical abilities.
McLaughlin-Levrone made headlines when she shattered her own world record in the 400m hurdles for the sixth time at the Paris Olympics, clocking an astonishing 50.37 seconds.
Her versatility extends beyond the hurdles, as she has also excelled in the 200m and 400m races. During the Olympics, she delivered a blistering 47.71 split in the 4x400m relay, marking the fourth-fastest split ever recorded at any Games and showcasing her incredible speed over one lap.
“Sydney jumped into the mix and made television mad. The camera guy did not even know who to look at. Is it who is ahead or the rest of the pack?” Gatlin quipped on his Ready Set Go podcast, highlighting the confusion caused by McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance on the track.
Despite primarily focusing on the hurdles in major championships, McLaughlin-Levrone is the second-fastest U.S. athlete over one lap, thanks to her 48.74-second performance at Hayward Field in July.
This time places her 12th on the all-time 400m list, and should she improve further, Sanya Richards-Ross’s U.S. record of 48.70 could be within her reach.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s prowess extends to the 200m, where she clocked a personal best of 22.07 seconds in Los Angeles last May.
Her exceptional performances in the hurdles have raised the bar so high that even other elite athletes, such as Femke Bol and Anna Cockrell, have been compelled to elevate their game, running sub-52-second races. Yet, even their impressive times pale in comparison to McLaughlin-Levrone’s achievements.
This scenario is reminiscent of Bolt’s era, where the Jamaican sprinter set the 100m record at an extraordinary level, having clocked sub-9.7 seconds on three occasions. Only Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay have managed to dip below the 9.7-second barrier in history, underscoring the challenge Bolt presented to his competitors.
Gatlin’s podcast co-host, Rodney Green, echoed this sentiment, noting how McLaughlin-Levrone’s high standards are likely to push other athletes to strive for excellence, much like Bolt’s influence on his peers.
“What she is doing is an alt ask. She has moved that record so far ahead to where 50.3 is very fast to where the field will be like, ‘I do not know if I can get there,’ but the field will take chances and say, ‘Coach, we need to start changing some things. I really want to change some things,’” Green explained.
“I do not want Sydney to blow us away like she is doing. We need to be closer. What do we need in the off-season to prepare?”
Green further emphasized that McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance might inspire a new generation of athletes to step up, just as Bolt’s 9.58-second world record in 2009 led to a surge in sub-9.7-second performances.
“It bred a whole different generation of athletes. No disrespect to Noah [Lyles] and any other athlete, 9.79 (winning time at the Paris Olympics in 2024) would have gotten you third in 2012.”
As Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone continues to elevate the 400 meters to unprecedented heights, the track and field world watches in awe, anticipating how her influence will shape the future of the sport.
