Athletics star Sydney McLaughlin makes history again at the World Championships on July 22: The 22-year-old sets a world record in the 400-meter hurdles in Eugene, Oregon record, breaking her own record in the process and winning her first world title at the event.
If that’s not crazy enough, this is actually the fourth time McLaughlin has set a new world record at the event in 13 months, and in less than a year In time, she broke the world record for the third time, beating her own previous best. In June 2021, McLaughlin broke the record set by hurdling star Dalila Mohamed at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Then at the Tokyo Olympics in August, she did it again. In 2022, she broke her own record at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in June and improved again at this week’s World Championships.
“I think we’re pushing the boundaries of the sport, especially in our games,” she told ESPN after Friday night’s game.
In her latest record-breaking feat, McLaughlin completed the 400-meter event — which required clearing 10 obstacles in a sprint — in 50.68 seconds, leading the Femke Bol of the Netherlands was second in 52.27 and Mohammed of the United States was third in 53.13. McLaughlin’s time shaved 00.73 seconds off her previous record and nearly a minute and a half off Mohammed’s record since 2019. While that might not seem like much, it’s actually an absurd amount of time for a race that’s only a quarter mile long.
Perhaps even more shocking, given this progress, McLaughlin still believes she can improve.
“I think we’re all figuring out that yes, there are 10 hurdles, but we can do it much faster than people think,” she told ” New York Times : “I still think it was a super clean match if not.”
Another shock considering her strength people? As she told SELF after breaking her first world record last June, she wasn’t initially a huge fan of her current big event.
“I’ve come to like it. I don’t like it, but I’ve come to like it,” she said. “Growing up, I hated the 400 [meter distance]. I definitely thought I was going to be a sprinter.” But, as she tells SELF, one high school coach saw her speed combined with her strength—that is necessary to clear those hurdles — to make her a force to be reckoned with in that game. So she started training for it.
The rest, as they say, is history. McLaughlin now holds two Olympic gold medals (one in the 400-meter hurdles and the other in the 4×400-meter relay), a world championship title in her hurdles, and a world record she has improved four times. Off the track, McLaughlin has partnered with New Balance on a shoe and apparel line, was selected for the 2021 Time 100 Next, and secured an endorsement deal as a TAG Heuer brand ambassador.
as what happens next? McLaughlin isn’t so sure, but she and her coach Bob Kersee may regroup after the season to see if the event can be switched to the flat 400m, where it could be chasing a world record, according to NBC Sports .
“Bobby and I are going back after the season to decide if this [400m hurdles] is still an event I even want to do or if we’re going to find something else because I think we’ve accomplished a lot in that. But there’s more to the sport, and there’s more that I want to try,” McLaughlin told NBC Sports in the postgame video. “Anything is possible.”
Related:
- Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad break 400m hurdles world record to win gold and silver
- 5 Pieces You’ll Love From Sydney McLaughlin’s New Balance Collection
- The 14 best moments of the 2020 Olympics that showcased the grit, strength and passion of sport
