Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently delivered a stellar performance in the 400m hurdles event at the Paris Olympics and spoke about her faith following the win. She spoke about comments from others that suggested a possibility of losing brand endorsements and how she viewed that in light of her faith.
The American athlete proved herself to be a formidable athlete once again at the 2024 Summer Games, as she won the 400m hurdles event with a new world record of 50.37s. She broke her previously-set record of 50.65s, set during the US Olympic Track and Field trials.
She bested her arch-rival Femke Bol, who secured third place by clocking 52.15s, while second place was claimed by fellow American Anna Cockrell, who recorded 51.87s. Following her victory, she talked about her faith in a post-race interview and said:
"I credit all that I do to God. Regardless of what happens, He’s going to get the praise. Every time I step on the track I pray 'Let me be the vessel in which you’re glorified'… that’s why I do what I do."
In a related development, the 25-year-old recently shared a video on social media where she opened up about potentially losing brand deals because of her faith.
She also spoke about her reactions to these comments:
"There's been a lot of talk that I received just about, you know, you may not want to talk so much about that," said McLaughlin-Levrone. "You might lose endorsements, you might lose deals this, that in the third. But I mean, I don't live for the approval of people, so I don't have to worry about any of those things. And even if an endorsement or something wants to leave, I know that God will provide for me in the way he sees fit."
She added:
"So, I'm not going to compromise the truth just to make people feel more comfortable. I know that when people do reject it, they're not rejecting me, but they're rejecting the truth. And that's why it's okay and I don't take it personally."
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on win at Paris Olympics
After running an exceptional 400m hurdles race at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about her triumph on Instagram. She shared a series of photos from the event, where she was seen holding the USA flag and flaunting a crown. She added a caption that read:
"What an honor, a blessing, and a privilege. I never want to take these moments for granted. In a week where my faith was tried, my peace wavered, and the weight of the world began to descend, God was beyond gracious. 🥹"
She added:
"It never ceases to amaze me how powerful He is to help those who trust in Him overcome the battles within. His word is sufficient, His promises hold true, and all the glory belongs to Him. 🙏🏽🙌🏽❤️ At the end of the day it is FAR beyond gold. Once again, I am immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to represent my country on the world’s biggest stage. What a blessing. ✨"
Here is the post from McLaughlin-Levrone:
McLaughlin-Levrone now has three Olympics golds to her name, the 400m hurdles and 4x400m wins at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and her 400m hurdles world record-time win at the Paris Olympics 2024.