Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone quicker than ever in women’s 200m

By Matt Nelsen
2 min|
Sydney McLaughlin (USA) celebrates winning gold in the women's 4x400m relay final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22
Picture by Steph Chambers/Getty Images 2022

Two-time Olympic Champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone blazed to victory in women’s 200m at the 2024 LA Grand Prix on Saturday 18 May.

The U.S. track and field superstar set a new personal best time of 22.07 seconds, a mere five hundredths of a second off the world lead. It was a shocking result for McLaughlin-Levrone, who specialises in the 400m hurdles.

The commanding victory announced her return to form after an injury sidelined her for much of the 2023 season, including the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

“I feel good. I love the sprint races; love the shorter races,” she told Olympics.com

The 400m hurdles world record holder noted the strength of the start list for the women’s 200m, which included Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Gabby Thomas and double relay world champion Abby Steiner, when discussing her victory at the 2024 LA Grand Prix.

“Obviously, [there are] things I can always work on, but I think for a PR and second 200m this year; can’t complain,” stated an upbeat McLaughlin-Levrone.

She confirmed that it wasn’t her intention to run the 200m at Paris 2024, even though her time made her eligible for entry and selection in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She chose to view the race as a tune-up for the 400m hurdles instead.

“It's just a good gauge of where you are, and I think that’s what these are; helping me see where I’m at and what I need to improve on,” said McLaughlin-Levrone.

2024 LA Grand Prix - Women’s 200m Full Results - Saturday 18 May

Wind: -0.3 m/s

  1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) 22.07 PB
  2. Abby Steiner (USA) 22.32
  3. Brittany Brown (USA) 22.35
  4. Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL) 22.45
  5. Jenna Prandini (USA) 22.61
  6. Gabby Thomas (USA) 22.68
  7. Kendall Ellis (USA) 22.77
  8. Edidiong Odiong (BRN) 23.23
  9. Maryam Toosi (IRI) 23.84