Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Wins Her Second U.S. Title At 400 Meters

Forbes

2 days ago

Two years ago, an injury prevented Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from chasing after a world title at 400 meters.
This time around, that won't be a problem.
On Saturday at the USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the 25-year-old U.S. star indicated she's all-in for the 400 meters at the World Championships in Tokyo after securing her second national title since 2023 with a dominating performance over the distance in 48.90 seconds.
More importantly, she's healthy. And she's ready.
'This event has taught me patience,' she told a group of assembled reporters in Eugene. 'I think I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned a lot about the 400. But ultimately, it's every day stepping on the track being the best I can be and figuring out a race that's very foreign to me and taking on new challenges.'
It wasn't the American record she may have been aiming for, but the effort did mark the third time McLaughlin-Levrone dipped under the 49-second barrier over her career.
It also signaled her first race under 49 seconds in 2025.
'Everyone talks about the American record, of course,' McLaughlin-Levrone said of the U.S.'s all-time 400-meter mark. 'That's going to come when it's supposed to come.'
What's Next For Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed that she won't pursue a wildcard bid in the 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo, where she's the world record-holder and two-time defending Olympic champion. That will have to wait for another year.
On Saturday, Isabella Whittaker was the second U.S. qualifier in 49.59 seconds, while Aaliyah Butler, an athlete at the University of Georgia, was third in 49.91 seconds. Butler was second in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2024 and is the reigning NCAA champion.
On the outside looking in was Alexis Holmes, an Olympic qualifier last year who was fifth in 50.33. Another omission from the U.S. team was Britton Wilson, a 2023 world qualifier who fell to sixth in 50.88.
McLaughlin-Levrone said her season-long pursuit in the 400 meters began in the lead-up to the Prefontaine Classic, where she went on to win the event in 49.43 seconds.
'We had an idea that we wanted to focus on the 4,' she said. 'This was a challenge. It was not as comfortable for us, but I want to challenge myself. I felt like this was the year I wanted to step out of the box and really push myself in a different way.'
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Is Inching Closer To An All-Time Record
Her performance in the U.S. final inched her closer to Sanya Richards-Ross' American record of 48.70. It was her fifth race at the distance in 2025 outright – matching her output from 2023.
The last time McLaughlin-Levrone pursued the American record, she won her first 400-meter title in 48.74 seconds at the U.S. Outdoor Championships. A knee injury later kept her out of the World Championships in Budapest.
A year later, less than three weeks out from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, she ran 48.75 seconds.
On Saturday, while she never broke form, she lacked a finishing kick over the final 50 meters.
And yet, with added preparation and focus for the World Championships, which are set for September 13-21 in Tokyo, McLaughlin-Levrone may have enough time to meet those demands.
She's a three-time world champion who has been a part of two gold-medal winning 4x400 relays in 2019 and 2022. She will likely contribute to the U.S.'s efforts in the relay in Tokyo.
However, any possible rematch with the Netherland's Femke Bol, who currently leads the world in the 400-meter hurdles and was third in the event at the Paris Olympic, will have to wait.
'For this year, the 400, possibly the relays,' McLaughlin-Levrone said of her remaining goals this season. 'Just pushing myself in this. Each year is a new year. We'll see what we can bring.'