"You've changed the game"- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expresses gratitude to Dalilah Muhammad for pushing her and others to be their 'best'

While Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is at the peak of her prowess, former 400m hurdles world record holder Dalilah Muhammad is nearing the end of her career. As Muhammad announced that the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials were her last, McLaughlin-Levrone has expressed gratitude to her for pushing her to be the ‘best’ over the years.

When Muhammad won the 400m hurdles gold at the Rio Olympics 2016, McLaughlin-Levrone was a 16-year-old teen making her debut. The two hurdlers faced each other multiple times over the next few years before the latter took the throne from Muhammad in 2021 in the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Muhammad broke the 16-year-old 400m hurdles world record in 2019 with a time of 52.20s and then broke her mark again in the same year. However, two years later, McLaughlin-Levrone breached the 52-second mark for the first time in history at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, beating Muhammad in the process as well.

McLaughlin-Levrone broke the record again at the Tokyo Olympics to win the gold while Dalilah Muhammad won the silver with a personal best of 51.58s. As the former world record holder winds up her career, she has received immense praise from the American 400m hurdler, who credited her for reviving the event and helping other hurdlers be their best. McLaughlin-Levrone also shared similar sentiments in an Instagram story.

"Anna (Cockrell) said it best, you've changed the game. Thank you for pushing so many, including myself to be our best. #legend" she expressed.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expresses gratitude to Dalilah Muhammed (Source: Instagram Story)

Muhammad finished sixth in the 400m hurdles finals at the 2024 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials 2024. She didn't qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. The 34-year-old confirmed that it was her last Olympic trials, and is likely to announce her retirement soon.

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“She can go 49 seconds”- Dalilah Muhammad on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Day Eight (Source: GETTY)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has broken the 400m hurdles world record an astonishing five times now. She has lowered Dalilah Muhammad’s former world record by nearly one second and isn't done yet.

Speaking with reporters after the event, Muhammad claimed that McLaughlin-Levrone could run the distance in 49 seconds. She had called it previously as well and still stands to her word.

"She's been amazing the whole way through. I still think she can go 49 [seconds]. I've said that before. She just ran a world record... and it's like we're not even shocked at this point. She's just an amazing talent; a generational talent, for sure," Muhammad said. (via Olympics.com)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also expressed her desire to run sub-50 at some point in her career, and given her form, it could very well be this year.