Sydney McLaughlin once earned LeBron James comparisons as the most dominant high school athlete of all time following Rio sojourn
Hurdler Sydney McLaughlin's dominance in high school was once compared to that of LeBron James. The LA Lakers icon is widely considered the greatest high school athlete of all time, with only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being a fair challenger.
However, another legacy was being written in youth sports and it was McLaughlin's. She is considered the greatest track and field athlete in American high school sports. In 2016, McLaughlin, just 17 years old, qualified for the Rio Olympics. In the 400 m hurdles, she finished in third place and became the youngest athlete in American history to represent her country in a track and field competition.
Although she finished fifth in the semifinals at the Rio Olympics, she had already left her mark. By 2017, according to King5.com, McLaughlin was already holding multiple records. She had four national high school records: in the 300 and 400-meter outdoor hurdles, as well as the 300 and 400-meter indoor dash.
Since then, Sydney McLaughlin just had to wait for the next Olympics. The time finally arrived in 2021 in Tokyo. In the quadrennial event, she won two gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles and the 4 x 400-meter relay. She also set a new world record in her 400-meter hurdles gold medal win.
She beat her own 400-meter hurdles world record at the 2022 World Championship, setting a new high at 50.68 seconds. She then shortened that time at the 2024 Paris Olympics, setting a new world record at 50.37 seconds. She also won a gold medal in the 4 X 400-meter relay.
Just as LeBron James went on to achieve more than what was expected of him in the NBA, the trajectory is the same for McLaughlin. She has stood high on every inch of the expectations that she was burdened with.
Sydney McLaughlin puts her career into perspective
Despite four Olympic gold medals, Sydney McLaughlin isn't stressed about winning or losing. In a conversation with USA Today, even after setting a new world record in 400 m hurdles, McLaughlin wasn't comfortable making her athletic career her entire identity.
When asked what goes through her mind after the win, McLaughlin said:
“As a competitor, you always want to strive for more and that’s natural. It’s a part of our sport you know. Nobody likes to lose, but at the same time, there is grace. I have learned over the years that I’m this is what I do, it’s not who I am.”
With a total of seven gold medals in the Olympics and World Championships, Sydney McLaughlin isn't done yet.