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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was at her absolute best in the women's 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics. She clocked a world record time of 50.37s while her biggest rival Femke Bol settled for third in 52.15, with fans having mixed thoughts about the rivalry.
McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol had faced only twice before the final at the Paris Olympics. Their first meeting came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where the American ran the world record for her maiden gold medal. They faced again at the 2022 World Championships where the same result unfolded as McLaughlin-Levrone clocked 50.68 to win and set a new world record.
The 25-year-old broke that mark at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this year after clocking 50.65s. However, a week before the Paris Olympics, Bol clocked a blistering 50.95s to become only the second woman in history to break the 51-second mark. The Dutch runner's time brought excitement into the rivalry, setting the stage for a breathtaking final.
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However, it turned out to be a pretty easy affair for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who ran an unprecedented 50.37s for the gold at the Paris Olympics and a new world record. USA's Anna Cockrell took silver in 51.87s while Femke Bol was third in 52.15s. A fan reacting to the race wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"She is who Americans think Noah and Sha'carri are"
"This is how far ahead Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was ahead of every other runner in the women's 400m hurdles final. The GOAT for real," another fan commented.
Here are some more reactions:
"Even a fully fit #femkebol would not have beaten that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. I mean look how much she took off her own world record. It would have been closer. She may have got 50.90 or even 50.80 but Sydney doing 50.37. No Bol wouldn't have won," a user commented.
"The McLaughlin-Bol rivalry giving Serena-Sharapova I fear," another user commented.
"Can't really compare the races, If Jakob Ingerbritsen hadn't moved out of the inside lane to try and stop Kerr, Hocker couldn't have won. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone would have won even if Bol had matched her best ever time of 50.95," a fan said.
"I remember when people were saying Femke Bol had a chance against her, lol. Sydney would dust Bol in every single event," another fan said.
How many times has Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broken the world record?
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the women's 400m hurdles world record for the first time at the 2021 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. After clocking a time of 51.90s, she broke that mark with a 51.46s run in the Olympic finals.
McLaughlin-Levrone lowered the record to 51.41s at the USATF Championships in 2022. She later breached the 51-second mark for the first time at the 2022 World Championship finals, flying to the finish line in 50.68s. The 25-year-old didn't run 400m hurdles last year.
The two-time 400m hurdles Olympic champion broke the world record twice this year. She first clocked an incredible 50.65s at the Olympic Trials before running a blistering 50.37s to defend her gold medal at the Paris Olympics and break the world record for the sixth time.
