"His commands made sense" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about moving to new coach after struggles with technique

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote in her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith that she had trouble with her hurdle technique. Even though she was in great shape, she took 23 steps to the first hurdle instead of 22. She was frustrated with the issue and thus went to her new college (UCLA) coach, Bobby Kersee, for help.

The gold medalist's training changed when her coach, Bobby Kersee, agreed to help her. He gave her direct and precise instructions, focusing on her start and stride before reaching the hurdle. McLaughlin-Levrone stated that his coaching was clear, and she was able to apply his guidance immediately.

Furthermore, after months of struggling, the 25-year-old successfully reached the first hurdle, 22 steps, on her first attempt under her coach's guidance. The quick improvement marked a turning point in her training.

Reflecting on the guidance from Kersee, McLaughlin-Levrone wrote:

"His commands made sense. I knew how to translate his words into actions. The goal here was to fix my start to the first hurdle. I was currently taking twenty-three steps from the starting line to the first hurdle, which was 45 meters away."

The athlete further added:

"During the previous season, I had been struggling to get twenty-two steps to the first hurdle (something I had done with ease in college); as a result, we moved my blocks back, making me run farther than everyone else. My hope was that Bobby’s instruction would help eradicate that extra step and get me back down to twenty-two steps."

In 2020, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone switched from coach Flo to coach Bobby Kersse to get better at her technique and skills.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's coach, Bobby Kersee, reflects on the Olympian's performance

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the 2024 World Athletics Awards- Source: Getty

During an interview with CITIUS MAG on June 1, 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's coach, Bobby Kersee, gave feedback on her performance during a 400-meter race in Brussels, Europe. He expressed that she stuck to her race plan, keeping 15 strides between hurdles instead of 14 to stay controlled. He was satisfied with her time and execution.

Reflecting on her performance, the interviewer asked the coach:

"What did you think of that 22.07 based on what's been going on in practice? Were you surprised or did you expect it maybe a little faster?"

Bobby Kersee responded:

"No. I was happy with it. I thought that she can sprint; she actually wanted to run 200s more last year, but I wanted her to really concentrate on the quarter first and then back down into the 200m."

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay.