Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to face Jamaica's Stacey Ann Williams at Brussels Diamond League: More about American's competitors over 200m and 400m

By Soumik Bhattacharya

Modified Sep 10, 2024 18:45 GMT

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is all set to make an appearance at the 2024 Diamond League finals in Brussels set to be held on September 13 and September 14. The 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist will run the 200m and 400m exhibition races scheduled across the two days of the competition.

The 400m event is scheduled on September 13 (Friday) and will take place around 1:53 PM ET. Over this distance, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's major threats include the 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Stacey Ann Williams and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Stephenie Ann McPherson.

Williams will be a potential threat to McLaughlin-Levrone in the event as she has shown impressive form throughout the season and has also clinched podium finishes at the Racers Grand Prix and Jamican National Championships.

Other participants in the race include Rebecca Borga, Hanne Claes, Andrea Miklos, and Helena Ponette. The 400m race in Brussels will be her second flat 400m event this season. McLaughlin-Levrone's only appearance in the event came in June during the USATF New York City Grand Prix when she won the event after registering a run time of 48.75 seconds.

The 200m exhibition event will be held on the second day of the Brussels Diamond League meet around 1:53 PM ET. Tasa Jiya, the 2024 European Championships bronze medalist can give a tough fight to McLaughlin-Levrone in the event. Her other competitors in the race will include Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye, Maja Mihalinec Zidar, Delphine Nkansa, Rani Rosius, and Boglarka Takacs.

The United States hurdler has competed in two 200m races so far in the season and has won both of them. Her season-best run time in the season is 22.07 seconds and she registered at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix 2024.

Brussels Diamond League organizers include special races in the event roster for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with the US flag at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris (Image via: Getty)

The Women's 200m and 400m exhibition races were initially not a part of the Brussels Diamond League event roster and were included recently after Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was deemed ineligible for the competition.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist was ineligible to participate in her specialization, the 400m hurdles, event as she has not featured in any of the prior Diamond League events this season.

Owing to this, the two events were specially included so that McLaughlin-Levrone could at least take part and feature in the Brussels event.