"I had never felt so unprepared, so undeserving" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone doubted her readiness before her first Olympic trials race

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on doubting her preparations before her first-ever USA Olympic trials race at the 2016 U.S. Track and Field Trials. In a bid to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, McLaughlin-Levrone arrived at Hayward Field in Eugene, where the top three finishers in each event earned a place on the Olympic team.

However, what made the hurdler nervous was seeing her competitors, who appeared stronger, more experienced, and better prepared than her with their warm-up strategies. As a result, she doubted her own preparations and felt like she didn't belong there.

In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on the time ahead of her first Olympic Trials heat, when she felt unready to face her opponents, stating:

“All around me I saw women who were bigger, stronger, more experienced, and, I assumed, faster than I was. They clearly had a strategy as they warmed up. I did not. I would run a bit from one side of the warm-up area to the other and stretch without rhyme or reason. I remember looking around one too many times and making eye contact with some of them. It was terrifying.”

McLaughlin-Levrone further mentioned the variety of equipment her opponents had. While, in contrast, she was just carrying a small backpack, adding:

“They had equipment - so much equipment. All I had was a little backpack with some extra shoes and clothes. I had never felt so unprepared, so undeserving, and so uncertain of what I was supposed to do.”

She went on to win the quarter-final heats, defeating pre-race favorite Kori Carter. Now a four-time Olympic champion, the 25-year-old shared her thoughts on connecting with fellow athletes at various track events.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on her interactions with fellow athletes

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at World Championships 2022. PHOTO: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on her interaction with fellow athletes on her recent virtual appearance on the Life and Books and Everything podcast in January 2025, saying:

“I definitely think at track meets is where people tend to see each other most and get to kind of converse because we are just all so spread out over, you know, all the United States. Whereas other countries, they kind of have big training groups that work together. The United States, everybody is kind of a bit more separated unless you're in a group with a bunch of other athletes.” [9:43 onwards]

“So, um, yeah, I mean, there is, you know, definitely some mixing and mingling, but for the most part, I would say at our event we don't tend to mix and mingle too much because it's so competitive. But everyone's very cordial, very, very polite, but definitely always game face on when we're around each other,” she further mentioned.

During the interaction, she was asked about one of her main rivals, Femke Bol. The two-time 400m hurdles Olympic gold medalist described her as sweet, humble, and nice.