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"We just knew this one is a little different" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's father revealed that the Olympic champion was special since childhood
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s parents once revealed that their daughter was special since childhood. They shared how they already had their elder son and daughter as ‘gifted’ runners, but were amazed to see their young daughter run at the age of 6.
American hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently had a fantastic run at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 25-year-old broke her own world record by running a world-leading 50.37 seconds in the 400m hurdles event that saw her win her second consecutive gold medal in the event. She also helped the United States win the gold medal in the 4x400m relay. The 25-year-old also boasts three World Championship gold medals in the 4x400m relay and 400m hurdles.
New Jersey-born Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been raising eyebrows with her performances ever since she won the 400m hurdles at the World Youth Championships 2015 at just 15 years old. However, her parents revealed in an interview with NJ.com in 2016, that they recognized their daughter’s Olympic potential very early.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s father Willie McLaughlin, a former NCAA athlete, shared that his elder daughter Morgan and elder son Taylor were “gifted” runners. He said:
“We had had our older daughter and our older son run, and they were very gifted.”
He then added that he observed Sydney to be “a little different” than her siblings.
“Then we saw (Sydney) run at 6 years old, and we just knew, okay, the other ones are very good but this one is a little different. It was just obvious,” Mclaughlin said.
McLaughlin-Levrone turned professional in 2018 just after completing one year of college at the University of Kentucky. She signed a contract with New Balance with an annual base pay of $1.5 million.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone took up running after she received this reward
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone grew up in an athletic family where not only her siblings, but also her parents had a knack for running. However, her realization to take up athletics as her career came after she participated in her first running competition.
In an interview with L’Officiel in 2021, the athlete revealed that she competed for the first time at the age of 6. On winning the race, she was delighted to see her parents’ happiness. Moreover, she was rewarded with a candy that further inspired her to become an athlete.
She said:
"Running was just fun. Winning for the first time and seeing how happy my parents were and getting rewarded with candy—I decided that’s what I wanted to do," she said. "My parents didn’t really coach or train me—they just let me run and I would win, and they saw potential in that."
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will conclude her 2024 season at the Diamond League event in Brussels.
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