In Pictures: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone receives hero's welcome in hometown Dunellen following double gold medal victory at Paris Olympics

American star hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was recently honored in Dunellen, New Jersey, her hometown, following her remarkable campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In Paris, McLaughlin-Levrone expanded her Olympic medal tally to four golds after achieving two more top podium finishes at this edition’s quadrennial Games.

Having previously broken the world record in the women’s 400m hurdles event multiple times, she went on to shatter it again at the Paris Olympics with a record-breaking performance of 50.37s in the finals to win the gold. She defended her title in the discipline by finishing significantly ahead of her competitors as the second-placed Anna Cockrell recorded a time of 51.87 seconds.

She then backed it up with a phenomenal show in the women’s 4x400m relay race as she clocked a 47.71 split in the race to contribute to the USA’s national record performance (3:15.27) in the discipline as they won the gold. The overall timing was just 0.10s shy of the world record.

Following her Paris Olympics exploits, McLaughlin-Levrone was greeted with a grand reception in Dunellen, where a large number of enthusiasts, fans, and friends gathered to catch a glimpse of one of the sport's greatest athletes at Columbia Park.

One can view the pictures of McLaughlin-Levrone being honored in Dunellen here:

Post by @sydneymclaughlinfans

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone honored by the University of Kentucky as she gets inducted into Hall of Fame

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)

Following her remarkable accomplishments in the sport of track and field, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame 2024 class. During her speech, she thanked the institution despite just attending college for a year. She said (1:05 onwards):

“My year here was hard. I won't pretend it wasn’t, just like it is for many college athletes across the country. But honestly, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I wouldn't be the woman I am today had I not attended UK. Although I may only have one year under my belt and don’t have a degree, sorry Mom. I’ve learned more than I ever could have imagined”.

Besides the learnings she gained about track and field from the university, she also expressed her gratitude to the university.

“I discovered what true friendship looks like and I even learned how to do my laundry for the first time. I want to thank UK for propelling me into the career I’m so grateful for now and for taking care of me. Thank you to my parents for believing in me for encouraging me to go to college. Had you not done that, I would not be standing here,” she added.

In addition to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, two-time Olympic medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn was also inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Kentucky.