Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on pushing athletics boundaries: 'Sky's the limit'

Not to be limited by barriers, American track phenom Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is eager to leave her mark, attempting feats that may seem impossible at first.

Barely into her 20s, McLaughlin-Levrone has all but conquered everything she could over the 400m hurdles event. By the time McLaughlin-Levrone turned 23 in August this year, she had already captured the Olympic and world crowns while lowering the world record in the 400m hurdles four times in two years.

McLaughlin-Levrone performed her latest trick on home soil at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where she stormed home in 50.68 seconds, chopping 0.73 off her previous global mark of 51.41s. She became the first woman to break through the 51-seconds barrier stopping the clock just 0.61s shy of her personal best in the flat 400m.

While fans are rubbing their hands with glee over the prospect of the track superstar adding the one-lap sprint to her repertoire, McLaughlin-Levrone tempered expectations.

"Honestly, my coach and I are still kind of figuring out what we want to do. You know, this season was amazing with the 400 hurdles, but I still think there's more we're looking for there," McLaughlin-Levrone said.

"And I know the open 400m, my PR (personal record) is pretty close to my 400 hurdle time right now. So there's definitely room for improvement there. So we're still figuring out what the best situation is for us and what that will look like in the coming season. So honestly, I can't even really say what the plan is."

McLaughlin-Levrone said before thinking about shifting her focus to the flat 400m, she was daydreaming about pushing the boundaries even further in the hurdles event.

The 23-year-old intimated that she was eyeing a possible run below 50 seconds which would shift the event into a new dimension. Placed in context, only 100 women have gone sub-50 in the history of the 400m event, according to the world all-time list.

"I also think trying to run 49 in the 400 hurdles would be something people never thought possible. That would also be something to chase," McLaughlin-Levrone said.

"So whatever route we decide to go, I think the sky's definitely the limit for what could happen. But I definitely get excited about things that no one has ever really tried to do before. That's something that drives me."

Considering McLaughlin-Levrone's rapid rise and the rate of her improvement, it is easy to see why fans are speculating about what the American can achieve in the flat 400m.

The women's 400m world record of 47.60s set by Marita Koch in 1985 is the longest-standing global mark in any men's or women's sprint event.

"I mean, that's one (the 400m world record) that has stood for a very long time. And it has amazed everybody, you know, that time in and of itself is baffling. And I think, if the time comes down the road where we do want to run, that would be something to chase."

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on 400m double 

Asked about attempting a double in the 400m and the 400m hurdles at a major championship, McLaughlin-Levrone said the programming would play a major role in such a decision.

"You know, that's something that has to align with all the aspects, you know, especially in such high-level competition and an event that I like what I do," she said.
"So it would have to be, you know, the schedule lining up and making sure that there's enough rest and everything. So that would have to be a world that just completely makes full, holistic sense."

Dutch sensation Femke Bol is a recent example of an athlete completing the double. Bol, one of McLaughlin-Levrone's closest rivals, became the first woman to win a women's 400m and 400m hurdles double at a major championship. She won double gold at the European Athletics Championships in Munich in August and added the 4x400m relay victory for good measure.