"I thought of my dad’s words" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared the reason behind her tattoo after Tokyo 2020 win

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had a dominant run at the Tokyo Olympics, setting a world record in the finals as she secured the gold medal. After her victory, the American got a butterfly tattoo, the reason for which she later shared with fans.

McLaughlin-Levrone made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Games, when she was still a high-schooler. She failed to advance past the semifinals, later revealing that it was fear of competing in the finals that held her back from giving her hundred percent in the semis.

Four years later, the 400m hurdler arrived at the Tokyo Olympics as the 2019 World Championships silver medalist and the reigning Diamond League Champion for the event. At the Games, she was absolutely phenomenal, clocking a world record time of 51.46s in the finals to win gold.

After her performance at the Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone got a butterfly tattoo to celebrate her victory. In her debut novel ‘Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith’, the hurdler outlined the reason she got a butterfly, writing,

“I smiled as I answered, thinking about all those times I had stepped onto the track, feeling like I could run forever, that no one could stop me, that I was free from everything that held me back. I thought about the fears that had nearly derailed my life and career, that ruined my first Olympics, and that Christ set me free from the previous year.”

“I thought about the freedom of my future. No condemnation. No punishment. Forever free thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice. I thought of my dad’s words moments before my first race when I was six years old: ‘Syd, be the butterfly.' Freedom from fear. Freedom to fly. I told the artist, “A butterfly.”

---

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Paris Olympics

McLaughlin-Levrone at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Image Source: Getty)

After her incredible run at the Tokyo Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone went on to dominate her competition at the 2022 Eugene World Championships, bettering her own world record with a 50.68 to win her first World Championships gold.

The American sat out a major amount of her 2023 due to a hamstring injury, but made a comeback to the track earlier this year in time for the Olympics. She headed into the Games a favorite to defend her title after she reset her own record at the US Olympic Trials.

At Paris, McLaughlin-Levrone put forth an impresive performance. After a dominant start in her heats, she set yet another world record of 50.37s to win her second Olympic gold medal.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will now likely turn her focus to the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where she will be the favorite to reclaim the title of world champion.