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"Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has a gift from God" - Justin Gatlin heaps praise on world record holder's Paris Olympics performance
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone stamped her authority to claim the women’s 400m hurdles final in a new world record at the Paris Olympic Games. Her heroics have earned her praise, with Justin Gatlin in awe of the abilities of the 25-year-old.
In the women’s 400m hurdles first round, McLaughlin-Levrone claimed a comfortable win before sealing a ticket to the final after winning her semifinal race. In the final, McLaughlin-Levrone was majestic as she claimed the win, breaking her world record for the sixth time.
McLaughlin-Levrone clocked 50.37 seconds ahead of Anna Cockrell who finished a distant second in a time of 51.87s. Femke Bol, a favorite to challenge the world record holder, could only afford a third-place finish in a time of 52.15s.
Following her incredible performance in Paris, Gatlin explained that McLaughlin-Levrone’s talent is unmatched. Speaking on his Ready Set Go podcast, Gatlin said:
"Sydney is truly talented, hands down. She has a gift from God, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. She is a warrior. Afterwards, watching her, she didn’t necessarily want to put this crown on her head," Gatlin said. [44.00 onwards]
He added:
"I mean, if we are going to talk about Sydney, she’s in a whole different stratosphere. I really thought that the margin of her victory would be closer to the field. I felt like Femke Bol was going to be closer and Sydney had little room to make errors." [43.07 onwards]
The 2004 Olympic 100m champion said she is a true definition of a role model to other hurdlers who get to watch her or compete against her.
"With her breaking her world record six times, like unheard of for one, and then two, your competitors are seeing how you are creating this success and they are trying to mimic and match it. To me, it was amazing to watch," the two-time Olympic silver medallist said.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone unafraid of losing brand deals due to her faith
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is not fazed by the idea of losing brand deals due to her strong faith in God.
The former world champion opened up on the discouraging statements she has heard following the declaration of her religion. In a video shared on X, she said:
"There's been a lot of talk that I received just about, you know, you may not want to talk so much about that," McLaughlin-Levrone said.
"You might lose endorsements, you might lose deals this, that in the third. But I mean, I don't live for the approval of people, so I don't have to worry about any of those things. And even if an endorsement or something wants to leave, I know that God will provide for me in the way he sees fit," she added.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone grew up in a Christian family but her faith grew even stronger when she met Andre Levrone, who is now her husband. According to Today, Levrone is currently in seminary school and the couple always attend Bible Study together.
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