Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shares unseen picture with Ralph Mann as she pays tribute to the former Olympic medalist on his passing

Reigning Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is largely considered to be one of the best 400m hurdlers of all-time. Recently, the American shared an unseen photo of herself with former Olympic silver-medalist Ralph Mann, who passed away at the age of 75 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Mann rose to fame in 1969, winning the 440 yards NCAA championships with an American record of 49.6s. A year later, he successfully defended his national title, clocking a world record of 48.8s. In 1971, the hurdler won gold at the Pan American Games, and in 1972 he was the Olympic silver medalist in the 400m hurdles at the Munich Games.

After retiring from track and field, Mann went on to earn a PHD in biomechanics, and co-authored the books ‘The mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling’ and ‘Swing Like a Pro: The Breakthrough Scientific Method of Perfecting Your Golf Swing with Fred Griffin’.

On January 2, 2025, Ralph Mann passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Honouring his memory, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared an unseen picture of the duo on her Instagram stories.

Via Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's Instagram

Prior to this, McLaughlin-Levrone had penned a heartfelt message for the Hall of Famer. The official Instagram account of Citius Magazine has announced the news of his passing, and the reigning Olympic champion ccommented:

“So many people were impacted by Ralph both on and off the track. He will truly be missed.”

Post by @sydneymclaughlinfans

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When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone turned to Ralph Mann for advice after losing to Dalilah Muhammad

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

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone first met Ralph Mann in 2018 when she moved to Los Angeles for training. At the time, Mann was unimpressed by the hurdler's technique, telling New York Intelligencer,

“Sydney had problems. She couldn’t hurdle with her opposite leg. With her primary leg, she was mediocre at best. And her training wasn’t to the point where she could handle the last three hurdles.”

In 2019, McLaughlin-Levrone and Dalilah Muhammad faced off in one of the closest World Championships finals. Both the athletes beat the previous world record, but Muhammad emerged victorious, beating her compatriot by 0.07s. After her loss, McLaughlin-Levrone turned to Mann for advice, asking him,

“What the hell do I have to do to beat her?”

From there, Ralph Mann and Bobby Kersee teamed up to correct the hurdler’s technique, making her clear hurdles with her non-dominant leg. With the right technique, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has quickly established herself as one of the best hurdlers of all time. The American is now a two-time Olympic champion, the 2022 World Champion, and a six-time world record holder.