"Mom, I'm going to do that"- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recalls the moment about being serious about track as an 8-year-old

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about the moment she knew that wanted to start taking running seriously. The American athlete recalled telling her mother about taking up track after watching an event.

Having played multiple sports like soccer and basketball, McLaughlin-Levrone revealed how she knew that track was her calling. The 25-year-old has been on the professional circuit for over four years after signing a deal with New Balance in 2019 and letting go of her collegiate eligibility after competing for the University of Kentucky.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics and continued her unbeaten spree in the event to the next edition of the Olympic Games in Paris. She successfully defended her title, shattering the world record for the sixth time.

The Olympic gold medalist spoke about the exact moment she knew that she wanted to take up running seriously in an interview with Kate Mackz in the 'Running Interview Show'.

"I knew since I was like eight. I remember watching and I was like Mom, I'm going to do that and now here we are many years later," she said.

Furthermothis McLaughlin-Levrone shed light on the different sports she played as well as her decision to run the 400m hurdles.

"I played soccer, I did basketball and I danced for like eight years but the track was just something that stuck with me. I actually started out doing the 100 and the 200m and they were like you're growing up to be kind of tall and you got the long stride and so maybe we'll do the 400m and I also love the hurdles and they were like let's just combine these two," she added.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on her parents' support as a young athlete

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone during the 4x400m relay at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Image Source: Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about receiving immense support from her parents as a young athlete. She spoke to Jesuscalling.com and revealed how her parents never forced her to take up track but instead encouraged her to improve her running mechanics and techniques rather than winning.

"I think my parents, I credit them so much for how they handled my young years. They didn’t want to overwhelm me with rigorous training at a young age," she said.

"They really wanted me to grow and develop number one, my body, and number two my love for the sport naturally. Not because they wanted to force me into anything, not because I had some coach who wanted me to go win Nationals. It was very much so, “If you love this, if you want to do this, great,” she added.

McLaughlin-Levrone ended her 2024 season at the Brussels Diamond League, where she ran two invitational events.