While it was a shocker to some that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was racing in the 200m instead of her signature 400m hurdles event, the Olympic champion bested a stacked field at the USATF LA Grande Prix. She clocked a new personal best in the discipline, leaving track legend Michael Johnson highly impressed.
McLaughlin-Levrone was earlier slated to compete in the 400m hurdles at the LA Grand Prix. However, the Olympic champion withdrew from the event a couple of days before the competition, and instead, registered for the 200m.
Racing against the regular 200m runners, McLaughlin-Levrone didn't look like a 400m hurdles world record holder. She blew past Olympic medalist Gabby Thomas and World Relay Champion Abby Steiner to claim the gold at the LA Grand Prix 2024. The American hurdler clocked 22.07s while Steiner came 2nd in 22.23s and Brittany Brown finished 3rd in 22.35s.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s 200m exploits left four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson highly impressed. He went on to call her the ‘ultimate racer’ for her ability to consistently win races.
"This was a very good field. Sydney is the ultimate racer! There’s a difference in ability to run fast times and ability to beat people. The best racers consistently beat people!" he wrote.
Although McLaughlin-Levrone won't be competing in the 200m at the Paris Olympics 2024, the 24-year-old has admitted to the possibility of running for the double Olympic gold in 400m and 400m hurdles. However, it won't be happening this year, McLaughlin-Levrone said.
She competed in the 400m hurdles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which she won the gold medal with a world record timing. The world champion was also part of Team USA's 4x400m relay team, where she bagged another Olympic gold medal.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone loves ‘sprint races’
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has personal bests of 11.07s and 22.07s over the 100m and 200m distances respectively. Although she's not the fastest in these disciplines, the fact that she ran the world's 2nd fastest 200m of the 2024 season says a lot about her caliber.
After winning the 200m event at the LA Grand Prix, the 24-year-old claimed in an interview that she loved the shorter races. McLaughlin-Levrone also expressed happiness at running a new personal best in the discipline.
“I feel good. I love the sprint races; love the shorter races. “Obviously, [there are] things I can always work on, but I think for a PR and second 200m this year; can’t complain” she told Olympics.com.