Can anyone stop Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 400m hurdles at Paris Olympics 2024? Everything about the world record holder's competition

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is among the greatest athletes to have ever graced the sport of track and field. Recently, McLaughlin-Levrone shattered her own world record in the women’s 400m hurdles by clocking a phenomenal time of 50.65s at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials held at the Hayward Field in Eugene.

With this record-breaking performance, she improved her timing in the women’s 400m hurdles by reducing it by 0.03s. Her previous best time was 50.68s, achieved during the finals of the 2022 World Athletics Championships at the same venue in Eugene.

Based on her current form and recent performances, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone appears unbeatable and much ahead of her competitors in the women’s 400m hurdles. However, let's consider some competitors who could potentially defeat McLaughlin-Levrone at the 2024 Paris Olympics if circumstances favor them.

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Athletes who can challenge Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at Paris Olympics

#3 Anna Cockrell

Anna Cockrell at 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Anna Cockrell emerged as the second-best athlete among a competitive lineup of top USA hurdlers at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. She came only behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Trials, recording a new personal best performance of 52.64s.

With this performance, Cockrell has now made it to her second Olympic Games in the 400m hurdles, having represented the USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In Tokyo, she advanced to the semi-finals and then eventually finals of the event, clocking 55.37s in heats and 54.17s in semis. However, the finals turned out to be disappointing for Cockrell after she was disqualified due to lane infringement.

However, she would hope to turn the fortunes in her favor and aim to secure her first-ever medal at the Paris Olympics.

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#2 Rushell Clayton

Rushell Clayton at World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Rushell Clayton is another athlete to watch out for in the women’s 400m hurdles after her impressive campaign at the Jamaican National Championships where she blazed to a new personal best time of 52.51s to qualify for her maiden Olympics.

With this performance, Clayton is also the third-quickest athlete over the distance in the 2024 season. This also makes the two-time World Championships bronze medalist a strong medal contender for the Paris Olympics.

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#1 Femke Bol

Femke Bol at the 26th European Athletics Championships - Rome 2024. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images for European Athletics)

If anyone can stop Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from winning a gold medal, it is expected to be none other than Femke Bol. Although McLaughlin-Levrone is currently the clear favorite to win having already set the world record in 2024, Bol is the reigning world champion and has a chance to secure gold if luck favors her.

However, it will be a daunting task for Bol, who has clocked 52.49 seconds over the distance this season, considerably slower than McLaughlin-Levrone’s 50.65 seconds. But, if Bol breaks her personal best in the finals of the Paris Olympics, it would certainly be an interesting contest.

Her current personal best stands at 51.45 seconds, achieved at the London Diamond League meeting in 2023.