"Crushed me... His encouragement made me proud to perform": When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared her feelings on losing uncle before Tokyo Olympics

By Zahid Rashid Dar

Modified Nov 20, 2024 14:12 GMT

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once recalled being devasted after losing her uncle before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The four-time Olympic champion said he was one of her biggest supporters from the family.

McLaughlin-Levrone was born into an athletic family, her father Willie McLaughlin-Levrone a three-time All-American sprinter. The four-time Olympic champion excelled in athletics from a young age with her parents realizing early she was "special" among her siblings.

The 25-year-old made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and although she didn't win a medal, McLaughlin-Levrone would win and break the world record five years later in Tokyo. However, she hoped to have her uncle Russell McLaughlin watching her win those gold medals.

Russel had been "one of the biggest Sydney fans" but had passed away a year earlier due to heart and lung failure. Recalling his demise in her 2024 memoir "Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith", Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote:

"His passing crushed me. For years, his encouragement on and off the track made me proud to perform and represent the McLaughlin name. I looked forward to hearing his feedback after meets and competitions."

Following McLaughlin-Levrone's collegiate record run in the 400m flat during her time at the University of Kentucky, Russel had predicted she would become the best in the world.

"After I broke the collegiate record in the 400-meter hurdles, he predicted I would be “the best in the world.” In the weeks before his passing, I prayed extra hard that God would spare his life, selfishly wanting him to watch me perform at the 2021 Olympic Games. But the Lord took him before Tokyo," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared.

Despite losing one of her biggest supporters earlier in 2020, McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400m hurdles world record for the first time in 2021 by clocking an impressive 51.90s at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone produced a repeat of her 2021 Olympic campaign in 2024

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Source: Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone surpassed her record at the Tokyo Olympics, running a blistering 51.46s for the gold medal. She won a gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay before producing a repeat of her 2021 season in 2024.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old broke the 400m hurdles world record twice in 2024, running 50.65s at the Olympic Trials before lowering it to 50.37s at the Paris Olympics. She won two medals again, a gold each in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay.