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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened her 2025 season at Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track. Her performance in the event garnered attention and praise from the former athlete, Justin Gatlin.
Laughlin-Levrone grabbed two wins at the inaugural edition of the Grand Slam Track, including the 400m hurdles and 400m flat races. On the opening day of the competition, April 4, the American stood atop the podium in the 400m hurdles, where she ran at a blistering speed of 52.76s. On April 6, she showcased her talent in the latter event and earned another win by clocking an impressive time of 50.32 despite windy conditions.
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Days after this performance, Gatlin made his feelings known about the Olympian's season opener in his podcast 'Ready Set Go.' He stated that betting against McLaughlin-Levrone is a difficult task, especially in her patent events. Along with this, he also highlighted her performance at the Grand Slam track, saying:
“It'd be hard. It'd be very, very difficult to bet against Sydney, especially in her premiere event or any other event that she steps into. Because Sydney is the kind of person, like she's just not going to throw herself into a competition. She's going to do her research. She's going to train for it."
Talking about the significance of her coach, Bobby, in her success, he added:
"And you got to remember, her coach is Bobby. Bobby is that kind of guy. He does not want to lose. He wants you to put excellent out on the track. And watching her run at Grand Slam, it was hard to bet against her for the 400 hurdles and open 4-2 in that situation. So she ran away with it."
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had an interesting 2024 season, which saw her win two gold medals at the Paris Olympics in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay race.
When Justin Gatlin lauded Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for clocking a world record at the Paris Olympics
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone solidified her legacy in the 400m hurdles by registering a world record in the 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics. She sped to 50.37s in the event, besting her contenders, Anna Cockrell and Femke Bol, who claimed second and third place, respectively.
Following this incredible feat, she received sweet words from Justin Gatlin on his Ready Set Go podcast. Impressed with her performance, the former athlete said that McLaughlin-Levrone's talent is unmatched and called her a warrior.
"Sydney is truly talented, hands down. She has a gift from God, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. She is a warrior. Afterwards, watching her, she didn’t necessarily want to put this crown on her head," Gatlin said. [44.00 onwards]
Over the course of her career, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has won four Olympic gold medals, including two in the 400m hurdles event and two in the 4x400m relay race.
