"Just sheer emotion coming through"- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's husband heaps praise on her record-breaking performance in 2024 Paris Olympics

By Marie Amani

Modified Aug 13, 2024 07:53 GMT

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is arguably one of the greatest hurdlers the world has ever seen, and her sensational performance in the Paris Olympics was further proof of that. She won the 400m final with a world record. Sydney's husband, Andre Levrone, lauded her achievement, saying he was overwhelmed with emotions watching her compete.

McLaughlin-Levrone began her Olympic campaign with a stunning 53.60s win in the first round, as Noura Ennadi and Louise Maraval finished second and third in 55.26s and 55.32s, respectively. She then proceeded to the semifinal, taking the top honors in 52.13s. Maraval and South Africa’s Rogail Joseph finished second and third with 53.83s and 54.12s, respectively.

McLaughlin-Levrone saved her best for the final: she finished in 50.37 seconds to shatter her previous world record of 50.65s. Anna Cockrell finished second in 51.87s, as Femke Bol completed the podium with a time of 52.15s.

Andre was in awe of his wife after her astonishing performance at the Stade de France. He expressed how proud he was of McLaughlin-Levrone’s accomplishments, explaining how hard she has worked for the milestones.

"I'm incredibly proud of her. I can't even put it into words. There was just sheer emotion coming through me last night at the race. But, the work ethic that she mentioned; she worked incredibly hard," Levrone said, as quoted by Christian Post.

"We're always there encouraging her practice. … But, yesterday, before the race, just seeing the confidence and the trust and the faith that she had in God, in her work ethic and the plan that her coach had put into place for her, … I can't describe it in words. It's beautiful," he added.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and her husband planning to open a church

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and her husband plan to open a church (IMAGE: Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently opened up about her passion for serving God, saying she aims to open a church alongside her husband soon.

According to Women’s Health Magazine, Andre is in a seminary school in California where he intends to sharpen his knowledge about God.

"I don't know all what that looks like. The Lord will definitely have to guide us there. Even if it's something doing with the church—planning events or something like that. I just enjoy planning things," McLaughlin-Levrone said.

McLaughlin-Levrone once stated that Andre slid into her DMs and that’s how they started their friendship which eventually grew into a romantic relationship. She said in an interview with The Knot in 2022 (via People):

"We had a mutual friend who I went to high school with and he went to college with, but we didn't interact until he slid into my DMs. We started off as friends."

McLaughlin-Levrone and her husband Andre Levrone got engaged in 2021 and married on May 5, 2022.