"I would love to dip under 50 at some point" - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals ambitions after breaking the world record at U.S. Olympic Trials
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024. She has also broken her own world record of 50.68 seconds by registering 50.65 seconds in the finals of the women's 400m hurdles event at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
This is the third time the defending Olympic champion has broken her own world record in the fields of Eugene, Oregon. McLaughlin-Levrone finished 1.99 seconds ahead of Anna Cockrell and 2.12 seconds ahead of Jasmine Jones.
However, it looks like she is not done yet. At the press meet after the event, she revealed her further ambitions of breaching the 50-second barrier in the same category.
In an interview with NBC, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said (via Travis Miller's X):
"I mean, I would love to dip under 50 at some point. I don't know if that's this year or next year, whatever, but just always chipping away, seeing what's possible, and continuing.... There's so many different ways to run it, and I feel like everytime I'm on the track, I'm figuring out, 'OK, what's the best way?'"
When Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone opened up on the possibility of an Olympic double
The 24-year-old sprinter has made this record in only her fourth hurdle race this season. There are rumors on whether she is aiming for an Olympic double anytime soon.
Mclaughlin-Levrone is thinking about its possibility in the future. In May 2024, she told World Athletics (via journalist Cathal Dennehy's X):
"That's definitely a possibility in the future, but just wanting to come back last year, stick to one event, and try to do the best I can, be healthy, which we are, and I'm very happy about."
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone clocked an impressive 48.75 seconds at the USATF New York City Grand Prix almost a month ago in women's 400m, which is among the world's leading times as of now.
After a topsy-turvy 2023, the American sprinter is sticking to her favorite event, i.e. women's 400m hurdles. McLaughlin-Levrone is prioritizing her health over everything else in order to have a better shot at the 400m hurdles gold medal at Paris 2024.