Diamond League says Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone not eligible for 200m-400m wildcard at Brussels Final
The Memorial Van Damme, host of this year's Diamond League Final, had previously offered the Olympic 400m hurdles champion an invitation to compete in the 200m and 400m events, but she has been ruled ineligible.
Athletics
Despite receiving a wilcard to run at the Memorial Van Damme, the Brussels Diamond League meet from 13-14 September which serves as this season's athletics series Final, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won't be competing in the 200m-400m double she was invited for.
The Diamond League series has announced that McLaughlin-Levrone, the Olympic champion and world record holder over 400m hurdles, did not meet eligibility requirements to be offered a "Global Wild Card" under the series rules.
Series CEO Petr Stastny told specialist track and field website LetsRun.com: "It is not about allowing a specific athlete to compete or not. It is about rules and criteria which must be fulfilled by all to [become] eligible to compete at the [Diamond League] Final.
"Ms LcLaughlin-Levrone does not fulfill those criteria, either by accumulating enough points or receiving a wild card."
To qualify for the Diamond League Final in the 200m and 400m, athletes must place in the top eight of the season qualification standings.
Global Wild Cards can be issued, but only if athletes compete in and register a result (or sustain an injury in doing so) at least one meet during the season, and are ranked highly enough on the World Athletics Rankings or are a reigning Olympic, World, or Diamond League champion in the event.
McLaughlin-Levrone, however, does not often compete on the Diamond League circuit and has not done so regularly since 2018. Her last appearance on the series was at the 2023 Meeting de Paris in June of last year.
That means the 25-year-old does not have any points from this season's qualification meets, nor does she have the required appearance to qualify for the wildcard invitation.
"The final leg of the Diamond League is not an invitational meeting, and any athlete proposed for a Global Wild Card must have competed at least in one of our events during this season," Stastny added.
If she chooses, American might still be able to race in Brussels, but it would have to be in a non-Diamond Discipline show event, meaning any event which is not officially part of the Diamond League Final.
The two races were to have been McLaughlin-Levrone's only post-Olympics races this season.
She has competed over the 400m flat with moderate success in recent years, with her 48.74 personal best set at the USATF Outdoor National Championships in 2023 ranking her as the 12th-fastest woman all-time in the event.
However, the 200m is a rarer race for the American. Before racing two races this year, which include her personal best 22.07, she last ran a competitive half-lap race in 2018 when she was still in college.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's career results in 200m and 400m
What are Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's most recent competitive outings over 200m and 400m?
Neither race is her main event, although she has run a few 400m flats in recent years.
Here are her last five finals results in each event.
Women's 200m:
- 18 May 2024 - USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, Los Angeles - 22.07 (-0.3m/s), 1st place
- 4 May 2024 - Occidental Invitational, Los Angeles - 22.38 (+2.9m/s*), 1st place
- 29 March 2018 - Florida Relays, Gainsville - 22.39 (+1.5m/s), 1st place
- 3 June 2017 - Egg Harbor City, New Jersey - 22.96 (0.0m/s), 1st place
- 27 May 2017 - Egg Harbor City, New Jersey - 23.19 (no wind indicated), 1st place
Women's 400m:
- 9 June 2024 - USATF New York City Grand Prix, New York - 48.75, 1st place
- 8 July 2023 - USATF Outdoor Championships, Eugene - 48.74, 1st place (49.60 in semi-finals and 49.79 in heats)
- 24 June 2023 - USATF New York City Grand Prix, New York - 49.51, 1st place
- 9 June 2023 - Meeting de Paris Diamond League, Paris - 49.71, 2nd place
- 18 May 2019 - Shanghai Diamond League, Shanghai - 50.78, 2nd place