Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once revealed that she lost five pounds during her first trip to China for a Diamond League race. The American hurdler was then competing in her first season as a professional runner and adjusting to the different time zones and food was a struggle for her. She wrote about her experiences in her book, "Far Beyond Gold."
McLaughlin-Levrone rose to prominence at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials when she became the youngest American track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games since 1982. She finished third at the US Olympic Trials and managed to reach the semifinal heats at the Rio Olympics.
The 25-year-old continued to impress during her collegiate career at the University of Kentucky before signing a professional contract with New Balance in late 2018. She ran her first race as a New Balance athlete over 500m before making her Diamond League debut in the 400m in Shanghai, China.
Recalling the Shanghai Diamond League race in her 2024 memoir, 'Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith', McLaughlin-Levrone revealed she was exhausted ahead of the race due to lack of sleep.
She wrote,
"It started at 4 a.m. Los Angeles time. I remember chugging coffee minutes before the race, and I almost ran into a woman from being so exhausted. I’d never done that before. Can’t imagine I’ll ever do it again. I remember yawning while I warmed up and thinking, 'I might actually fall asleep while I run.'"
When the gun went off, the 25-year-old further wrote, she could barely move her legs, which felt like "bricks" to her.
"When the gun sounded, I felt like I was running on sand. My legs felt like bricks. My arms felt like rubber bands. I didn’t settle into the race and start to run like I was capable of until the 200-meter mark, halfway to the finish line. By that point I was too far back to catch the leader."
However, the four-time Olympic champion nonetheless managed to finish second, clocking an impressive time of 50.78s early in the season. First place went to Salwa Ed Nassar in 50.65s.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone likely to compete over both 400m flat and 400m hurdles in 2024

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran the 400m flat only twice in 2024 and yet came very close to breaking the American record in the distance. With the Olympic champion now having signed with Grand Slam Track, she is expected to race more frequently in the distance in the 2025 season.
Athletes signed as racers with the league are bound to compete in two events, which are likely to be the 400m flat and 400m hurdles in McLaughlin-Levrone's case. There will be four events each year, with the first event scheduled for April 3-6, 2025, in Kingston, Jamaica.