WATCH: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shows off juggling skills after being inducted into Hall of Fame at the University of Kentucky

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Sep 22, 2024 06:59 GMT

Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was recently invited to her alma mater, the University of Kentucky. She also witnessed the college football match between the Kentucky Wildcats and Ohio Bobcats, where the hurdler showed off her juggling skills.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone enrolled at the University of Kentucky in November 2016 to join their track and field program. The American hurdler tasted success two years later when she broke the junior world record of 400m, with a timing of 50.36 seconds at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships held in College Station, Texas.

In a collaborative video uploaded by SEC Network and ESPNW on Instagram, Levrone is seen juggling a couple of tennis balls while conversing with ESPN journalist, Peter Burns.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone turned professional and signed a deal with New Balance Athletics in October 2018. She also sought the services of coach Bob Kersee, who had coached many successful athletes, including his wife Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Allyson Felix, to name a few.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the University of Kentucky

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the USA [2nd from left] celebrating with the rest of the team after the women's 4x400m relay finals at the Paris Olympics [Image Source: Getty]

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was recently invited to the University of Kentucky and was inducted into the University's Athletics Hall of Fame. The 25-year-old expressed her gratitude towards the University of Kentucky through an Instagram post, where she wrote:

"Once a wildcat, always a wildcat! 💙😊Beyond grateful to have been inducted into the 2024 class of the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame. Definitely bled blue while I was here, so much growth and adversity that led me to where I am now. Thank you to the UK fan base for always showing such love and treating me like family. Much love! Go cats," she wrote.

The American hurdler also recounted her initial days of struggle when she was a student at the University of Kentucky. In her speech during her Hall of Fame Induction, Levrone recalled:

"My year here was hard, I'm not going to act like it wasn't as it is for many college athletes all over the country. But I wouldn't change it for the world, honestly. I would not be the woman that I am had I not attended UK. With only one year under my belt, I may not have a degree, sorry mom. I learned more than I ever could have imagined," she said.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added two more Olympic gold medals to her collection from the Paris Olympics. Apart from breaking the world record for the sixth time to win the gold medal in the women's 400m hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone also contributed to the gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay event.