Justin Gatlin gives his response on who he feels would have won between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Brittany Brown if they raced against one another in 200m. PHOTO: All from Getty Images

"She has it in the tank but you got dog for dog"-Justin Gatlin on whether Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone could have beaten Brittany Brown for 200m DL title

Modified Sep 19, 2024 21:33 GMT

Retired American sprinter Justin Gatlin recently shared his thoughts on who he believed would have won the showdown between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Brittany Brown for the Diamond League title if they had faced off. At the recently concluded Brussels Diamond League, Brown emerged as the winner in the main event, while McLaughlin-Levrone bagged the invitational race in the 200m.

The 400m hurdles world record holder featured in the 400m and 200m invitational events in Brussels after she wasn’t allowed to compete in the main event due to not meeting the competition rules. She won both the races, clocking times of 49.11s and 22.40s respectively. Meanwhile, Brown, the Paris Olympics bronze medalist, became the Diamond League champion after securing a comprehensive win with 22.20s.

Recently, during the Ready Set Go podcast, Justin Gatlin was questioned by Rodney Green on who he thought would have won between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Brittany Brown if they had competed in the same race. Gatlin believed that Brown could have prevailed but that it would have been a very thrilling contest. He said (starting 24:18 onwards):

“I'm gonna give it to Brittany because she has been finding her niche in her own event this season right. But it wouldn't be an easy win for Britney at all. I'm going to say that because you see how Sydney is. Sydney evaluates her field that she's running against. She knows what effort needs to go out there and she's not scared to run against the clock but she also not scared to run against other athletes.”

“So, I believe that 22.40 was because she cleared the field and she had no one pressing her. So, she just ran for the time and she just kept turning over. That's the time that came up on the clock. I think she can run faster. She opened up with 22.00 (22.07s) so you know that she has it in the tank for this season,” he added.

Gatlin also said:

“But once again I mean you got dog for dog, that's going to be a hard one and that's when you get the popcorn you got to go to the CEST stand before this race starts get that popcorn because this a dog for dog kind of situation. So, maybe there is something we'll see in the future. Maybe we'll see both of them race against each other in the future. I would like that.”

A look at Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Brittany Brown’s performances this season beyond the Olympics

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone kicked off her 2024 season in individual events at the 100m hurdles and 200m at the Occidental Invitational, where she won in both with 12.71s and 22.38s (wind-assisted).

She featured in the Los Angeles Grand Prix, HBCU Pro Classic, and New York City Grand Prix, where she won the 200m, 400mH, and 400m respectively. McLaughlin-Levrone then won the U.S. Olympic Trials and concluded her season at the Brussels Diamond League after clinching two golds in Paris.

Meanwhile, Brittany Brown too, had a remarkable 2024 season in which she won the Oslo Bislett Games, placed second in the U.S. Olympic Trials, and topped the Rome Diamond League in the 200m. She wrapped up her season with an Olympic bronze and Diamond League titles.