“I’ll never forget the energy in the stadium”- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on witnessing Usain Bolt’s 100m win at Rio Olympics

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once opened up about witnessing Usain Bolt’s iconic victory in the men’s 100m at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In Rio, McLaughlin-Levrone also made her debut Olympic appearance in the 400m hurdles.

At just 17, McLaughlin-Levrone advanced to the semifinals in her signature event. However, a fifth-place finish in her semifinals heat stopped her from reaching the finals.

Although the result wasn’t in favor of McLaughlin-Levrone, she didn’t let the setback ruin her entire Rio experience. Following her events, she attended the 100m final and diving competitions among others. Out of all these, she described Usain Bolt’s race at the Olympic Stadium in Brazil as one of the standout moments for her.

She reflected on this experience in her book - Far Beyond Gold, stating:

“We explored the city and attended as many events as we could, including diving and the 100-meter sprint, where Usain Bolt won yet another gold medal. I’ll never forget the energy in the stadium that night: one of the greatest moments in Olympic history. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to be part of it.”

At the 100m final in Rio, Bolt once again produced an impressive 9.81s finish to collect the gold. Notably, this was also his last Olympic appearance before retiring in 2017, ending his illustious career with eight Summer Games gold medals.

Now a four-time Olympic champion, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on how the Paris Olympics was a different experience from Tokyo.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on huge crowd support at Paris Olympics 2024 compared to Tokyo

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at Paris Olympics. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about the huge crowd support she received at the 2024 Paris Olympics compared to her underwhelming experience in Tokyo. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics had limited seating for fans as a precautionary measure.

However, in Paris, spectators and family members were present to cheer on the athletes at Stade de France. In front of approximately 70,000 fans, McLaughlin-Levrone successfully defended her 400m hurdles crown at the quadrennial event. She described the experience of racing in front of family as entirely different, calling it ‘a full Olympic moment’, stating (via Olympics.com in August 2024):

“Oh my goodness, the crowd is amazing; it's so loud in there. The whole experience..just having friends and family here, getting to see their faces. I mean, this really feels like the first full Olympic moment for me.”

While the crowd support made McLaughlin-Levrone’s Paris Olympics unforgettable, both outings had the same outcome where she won the gold by setting the world record in the distance.