"Being able to hug family, it was just unreal" - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hails Paris as her best Olympics appearance

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently reflected on her emotions after her double gold victory at the Paris Olympics 2024 while surrounded by her family. It marked the first time she became the Olympic champion in their presence.

McLaughlin-Levrone continued making history at her third Olympic appearance in Paris this year, where she dominated her much-awaited 400m hurdles faceoff against Dutch prodigy Femke Bol. The 25-year-old broke her own world record for the sixth time to defend her title with a time of 50.37 seconds.

Furthermore, the American hurdling prodigy then joined forces with 200m champion Gabby Thomas to help Team USA win their eighth successive 4x400m relay Olympic gold with a time of 3:15.27 seconds. During the race, the American quartet fell only 0.10 seconds short of breaking the Soviet Union's world record in the distance.

Speaking about her Paris Olympics campaign, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone stated that it was a dream come true moment for her in front of a massive crowd, and the presence of her family made it more special.

"I mean, it's a dream come true, all that hard work, and in those moments it was such a special time, and I mean 70,000 people in the stands, it was unforgettable so amazing," she said in an interview with the Today show.

"I think Rio I was so young, and then Tokyo there was no fans there, so being able to have my family in that moment afterwards, just being able to hug them and hold the flag, it was just unreal," she added.

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"He understands the athlete life" - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expresses her gratitude to husband for his support

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with husband Andre Levrone (Image via Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone thanked her husband Andre Levrone in August of this year for being by her side throughout her track and field journey, noting that he truly understands her life and commitments.

"I'm so grateful for Andre because he understands the athlete life, the day-to-day, what it takes, and all the little things,” she said (via Women's Health). "We're very similar just in how we're wired because of that, which helps us understand each other."

She also mentioned that he leaves her alone during her competitions so that she can concentrate on the race.

"We've definitely developed our routine and he understands when I'm locked in. It's nothing personal, just trying to stay super focused and so yeah, he takes care of certain things for me on race day, which I really appreciate so I can focus on what I got to do," she added.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added that having a supportive and understanding partner makes a huge difference in her life.