"This is why track sucks";"Don't bend rules for anyone" - Fans divided as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone barred from competing in Diamond League Finals

Fans had mixed reactions to the Diamond League's decision to bar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from competing in the finals. She was banned from participation for not meeting the eligibility criteria of the competition.

Following her successful Paris Olympics campaign, where she won two golds in 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay, McLaughlin Levrone was preparing to make her Diamond League season debut. She was scheduled to participate in 200m and 400m events at the Diamond League Finals in Brussels on September 13 and 14.

However, her plans were dashed when she failed to meet the eligibility requirement of not earning any points during the regular Diamond League season due to her absence from all 14 meets. Furthermore, her hopes for a Global Wild Card were also ruled out because she did not participate in any of the meets leading up to the finals.

Diamond League CEO Petr Stastny said in his statement that the rules apply equally to all athletes and stressed that they must adhere to the established criteria.

"It is not about allowing a specific athlete to compete or not. It is about rules and criteria which must be fulfilled by all to becoming eligible to compete at the WDL Final. Ms McLaughlin-Levrone does not fulfill those criteria, either by accumulating enough points or receiving a wild card," Stastny stated. (as quoted by LetsRun.com)"

The decision sparked a debate online with fans split over the incident, with a few favoring Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and others emphasizing the need for strict adherence to the rules.

One fan expressed their frustration over the rule and wrote:

"and this is why track sucks…instead y’all wanna see someone else in her place who can’t even break 23 seconds."

Another fan supported the decision and stated:

"I'm glad we spoke up and god Sydney kicked out! This is justice! Don't break/bend the rules for anyone."

Here are some more reactions from the fans.

"not shocked by it lol, she never ran at least a single DL event in 2024 which makes her ineligible for wildcard," one fan commented.

"For the love of god Track and Field; PLEASE STOP MISSING THE POINT!" wrote a fan.

"I get rules and all but DL y’all are about to miss a huge opportunity here. Like we ain’t talking just any athlete it’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone," wrote another.

"GOOD!!! All this could have been prevented had she just ran a couple races on the Diamond League circuit," another fan wrote.

Justin Gatlin shares his take on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's infrequent participation

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the 2024 Summer Olympics (Image via Getty)

Former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin had an interesting take on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's absence from the competitions during the regular season. He was of the opinion that the 25-year-old would show up when her world record was threatened, and urged her competitors to step up their game.

"If you want to see Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone run more, all those athletes who ran at Lausanne Diamond League, those athletes got to step their game up and call the champ out of the corner. That's where it's gonna come." He said (via Ready Set Go podcast)

"Someone has to go out there and run 51 low or 50 and has to get out there and possibly somewhat convince the audience that that individual could threaten the world record or even beat Sydney if she was in the race. That's going to pull Sydney out of that corner and get back on the track to compete. Like if she feels like her world record is threatened or there's an athlete out there that could challenge her, that's when the champ is going to show up." He added

The four-time Olympic champion has only one Diamond League title under her belt, which she won in 2019.