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Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone once recalled forfeiting a national championship as revenge against her teammates at the Union Catholic High School. The American hurdler recalled being subjected to emotional abuse following her maiden Olympic appearance at the Rio 2016.
McLaughlin-Levrone was impressive on the track right from her school career, setting multiple records during her high school career. She went on to compete at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and to everyone's surprise, the then 16-year-old finished third in the 400m hurdles, becoming the youngest American to qualify for the Olympics in track and field since 1972.
However, the New Jersey native couldn't produce her best performance at the Games and finished as a semi-finalist. She returned to her high school following the Rio Olympics and graduated in 2017.
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Recalling her last year at the Union Catholic Regional High School in her 2024 memoir 'Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith', McLaughlin-Levrone revealed that she was subjected to bullying and emotional abuse during her training sessions.
"During most practices, there was exclusion, whispering, jokes, and at times rude comments. I’ve never been one for confrontation, but I’ve also never been one for disrespect. So, in my frustration as the year came to a close, I made a drastic decision at the national meet," she wrote.
The 25-year-old decided to forfeit the relay race at the national championships and that too at the last moment.
"I told coach I wouldn’t do it. He looked at me incredulously. “Sydney, it’s a national title.” But I didn’t care. I sat out the race, forfeiting a national title for myself and the other girls. I just didn’t see how we could call ourselves teammates and accomplish something together after how the year had gone. I knew they didn’t like me; that was clear. But I also had resentment in my heart. And I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of winning when I was still hurt," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added.
While her school team still competed, they weren't able to win. McLaughlin-Levrone's relationship with the team also didn't get any better, she revealed.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone only attended one year of college at the University of Kentucky
While Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone graduated from the Union Catholic Regional High School in 2017, she signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Kentucky in November 2016.
She attended the college in the 2017-18 season, winning NCAA and SEC titles in her first year itself. McLaughlin-Levrone broke the world junior 400-meter record of 50.36 as well as the collegiate record in the 400m hurdles, clocking a mind-boggling time of 52.75s.
However, she turned pro shortly after her first season with the Kentucky Wildcats. She signed a professional deal with New Balance in October 2018, forfeiting the remaining three years of eligibility.
