"They had more to lose" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on "perspective shift" before racing "grown women" in first Olympic Trials finals

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on her mindset shift a night before competing at her first U.S. Olympic Trials finals in 2016. She had earned her spot in the finals after strong performances by topping both her heats during the qualifications and then in the semis.

Despite the anxiety of competing in front of a large crowd with the event streamed on national television and questions from reporters, McLaughlin-Levrone realized there was a reason she had made it this far, and it was her talent.

In her book Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith (On The Edge chapter), McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on how a shift in her mindset took place before her race, adding:

“Despite the fear, something clicked the night before the final race. It wasn’t that suddenly my anxiety had gone away and I was now as light as a feather. That didn’t happen. What did happen was a perspective shift. I realized there must have been a reason I made it this far. Though the lead-up to racing was dreadful, the gift always performed.”

She further acknowledged that the more experienced athletes might be feeling greater pressure since losing to a high school junior might weigh more than her losing to them, which helped in easing her pressure.

“All these grown women were probably more afraid of me than I was of them. Why? Because they had more to lose getting beat by a high school junior than I did losing to them. That change in my mindset took the pressure off me and put it back on them. With that in mind, I decided to go for it the next day,” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also wrote in her memoir.

The now-world record holder in the discipline, however, went on to secure her slot in the USA's Olympics squad for the Rio Olympics after finishing third in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials where she clocked 54.15s behind Dalilah Muhammad (52.88s) and Ashley Spencer (54.02s).

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on remarkable 2024 season after ending year at Brussels Diamond League

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Wanda Diamond League 2024 Final. Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on her 2024 season after concluding her track campaign at the Brussels Diamond League. She competed in her final two races of the season in non-regular events, the 200m and 400m, which were invitational races organized after she expressed her desire to participate in the Brussels Diamond League.

In the post-event interview after the 400m race, she said via Citius Mag:

“Just grateful, honestly. Number one thing is grateful just to walk away healthy. It's been an amazing year. God has blessed us tremendously. So, I think walking away from this season with everything that we accomplished, I'm going to be happy.” (0:09 onwards)

McLaughlin-Levrone won both invitational races in a convincing manner, clocking 49.11s in the 400m and 22.40s in the 200m. Notably, she wasn’t eligible to compete in the Diamond League Final due to the event's rules.

The 2024 season also witnessed Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone break the world record for the sixth time in the 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics. The USA athlete now owns four gold medals in her overall Olympic medal tally.