"A lot of people have touched these" - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on sharing her medals with people who supported her throughout her journey

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had a fantastic Paris Olympics campaign, successfully defending her crown in the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay. Now, over a month after her performance at the Games, the American opened up on what it means to be able to share her victory with the people who have supported her in her journey.

After spending the latter half of 2023 dealing with injury, McLaughlin-Levrone had a strong start to her Olympic season. She headed into the U.S. Olympic Trials as a favorite and surpassed expectations when she set a world record in the 400m hurdles finals.

At the Games, the defending champion was a similarly dominant force. After easy wins in the heats and semis, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set yet another world record in the finals, en route to her third Olympic gold medal. A handful of days later, she ran the 4x400m finals as part of Team USA, clinching the title with an American record.

Recently, in an appearance on the Today show, McLaughlin-Levrone was asked if her gold medals have followed her everywhere since the Games. The sprinted replied in the positive.

“Yes, a lot of people have touched these, it's been awesome. Everyone who was along for the journey,” she said.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone thanks her hometown for their support

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone thanks her hometown for their support (Image Source: Getty)

Immediately after the Paris Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone headed to Greece to celebrate her victory alongside her husband. From there, the American went to Brussels, where she competed in the exhibition races of the Diamond League Finals and ended her season on a high.

Now, the sprinter is back in the US and visited her hometown in New Jersey. In a victory ceremony in Dunellen, McLaughlin-Levrone thanked her town for their support, saying:

“I’m always at a loss for words whenever I come home, honestly. It was here where I first fell in love with track and field. It was here where the dream became stuck in my mind since I was 8 years old that this was my passion. This is what I wanted to do and God has blessed me with an amazing family, an amazing support system, an amazing town, an amazing state to be able to get that accomplished. So, thank you guys for all that you’ve done. Seriously.”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has concluded her 2024 season and is yet to share her competition plans for the coming year.

However, the hurdler has signed with Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track for the 2025 season and said in an interview that she would compete in more international meets next year as long as her schedule allowed for it.