Paris 2024 - Athletics - Source: Getty — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in action at the 2024 Paris Olympics - Getty Images

WATCH: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone through to women's 400m hurdles semifinals with an effortless sprint in the heats at Paris Olympics 2024

Modified Aug 04, 2024 12:13 GMT

In the women's 400m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has laid down the early marker. She barely broke a sweat in the heats and comfortably made it to the semifinals.

McLaughlin-Levrone decided to skip the Worlds last year to focus on the Summer Games and on first look, it seems to have been an inspired decision. In the heats on Sunday (August 4), McLaughlin-Levrone, the world record holder and Olympic champion, breezed through with 53.60 seconds to make it to the semifinals.

She looked quite confident in her performance and seemingly almost jogged her way to the finish line in the end.

Watch the video of her heats sprint below:

Expand Tweet

McLaughlin-Levrone wasn't the only big name in action in the heats. Femke Bol, the only woman other than the American to have ever gone sub-51 seconds, also put in an impressive performance.

Bol is the reigning world champion following her win in Budapest last year, the event McLaughlin-Levrone decided to skip. She ran 53.38 to be the fastest overall in the heats on Sunday.

400m women's hurdles semifinal qualifiers:

Femke Bol, Netherlands: 53.38
Jasmine Jones, USA: 53.60
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, USA: 53.60
Anna Cockrell, USA: 53.91
Shiann Salmon, Jamaica: 53.95
Rushell Clayton, Jamaica: 54.32
Rogail Joseph, South Africa: 54.56
Lina Nielsen, Great Britain: 54.65
Janieve Russell, Jamaica: 54.67
Zeney Geldenhuys, South Africa: 54.73
Fatoumata Binta Diallo, Portugal: 54.75
Savannah Sutherland, Canada: 54.80
Hanne Claes, Belgium: 54.80
Amalie Iuel, Noway: 54.82
Cathelijn Peeters, Netherlands: 54.84
Paulien Couckuyt, Belgium: 54.90
Noura Ennadi, Morocco: 55.26
Louise Maraval, France: 55.32

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: ‘‘Bob Kersee has added so much value’’

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the 64th Mt. San Antonio College Relays at in California - Getty Images

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been working with Bob Kersee since 2020. She has been training in Los Angeles, where Kersee is based and it has been a very fruitful partnership so far.

Some of the biggest names in American track and field history have worked under Kersee, including Florence Griffith Joyner, Gail Devers, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Al Joyner, Allyson Felix, and Athing Mu, to name a few.

Unsurprisingly, McLaughlin-Levrone has credited the Panama-born coach for his contributions to their partnership.

“He has added so much value – and I still have the wheel,” she said. (via "The Telegraph")

McLaughlin-Levrone will be in action in Paris for the women’s 400m hurdles semifinals on Tuesday.