The second half of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials left fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the biggest show in Paris. There were even more guest appearances from celebrities such as Terry Crews.
Spectators and athletes enjoyed the 13 meet records set at Hayward Field over ten days. The competitiveness of the meet gives fans something to look forward to going into Paris.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Breaks 400-Meter Hurdle World Record For The 5th Time
In typical Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone fashion, the reigning Olympic champion made history on June 30th. McLaughlin-Levrone posted a time of 50.65 in the 400-meter hurdles to break her world record for the 5th time.
Throughout the qualifying rounds, McLaughlin-Levrone easily demonstrated that she was ready to make her third Olympic team. The first team she made was the 2016 Rio Games at 16 years old. At the time, McLaughlin-Levrone was eliminated before the final round. In an interview following the race, she said she would be back and ready to fight for a podium spot.
McLaughlin-Levrone kept her word and made the Olympic team again in 2021. She became the champion and set a new world record alongside two-time Olympic and world champion Dalilah Muhammad. Although Muhammad, the former world record holder, announced that this would be the last Olympic Trials, she has not officially retired from the sport.
Unfortunately, Muhammad did not qualify for the Paris games, but many athletes and fans applauded her for changing the landscape of the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Both Muhammad and McLaughlin-Levrone worked together to push this event to new heights and open possibilities that no one imagined.
As McLaughlin-Levrone continues to rewrite history, the question that frequently arises is how fast can she go. In a post-race interview, she expressed her desire to eventually run 49 seconds in the event. For context, her current world record would have placed her 6th in the women’s 400-meter final at the Trials. Any 49-second race would have placed her at least 4th.
Former USC athletes Jasmine Jones and now two-time Olympian Anna Cockrell will join McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris in hopes of chasing greatness together.
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