Tokyo witnessed history on Thursday night. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, already celebrated as one of the greatest track athletes of all time, elevated her legendary status to even greater heights by running 47.78 seconds in the women’s 400 meters at the World Championships.
On the same track where she had stunned the world in 2021 with Olympic gold and a world record in the 400m hurdles, the 25-year-old American superstar delivered another magical performance.
This time, she proved that her excellence extends far beyond the hurdles by becoming the first woman since 1985 to break the 48-second barrier in the flat 400m.
A Historic Race for the Ages
The race itself was a spectacle rarely seen in athletics. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the reigning Olympic champion, pushed McLaughlin-Levrone all the way, finishing in 47.98 seconds, the second sub-48 performance in history.
Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain was not far behind with 48.19, a time that would have been enough to win at the last two world championships.
For the first time, two women ran under 48 seconds in a single 400m race — a benchmark that was once thought impossible.
These times now stand just behind East Germany’s Marita Koch’s long-standing, and often questioned, 47.60 world record set in 1985 — a record from an era later exposed for systematic doping.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s and Paulino’s marks have brought Koch’s controversial time within striking distance, and for the first time in decades, that record looks vulnerable.
Sydney’s Statement of Belief
“It’s amazing, it’s an honour,” McLaughlin-Levrone said afterward. “A lot of people doubted me when I switched from the 400 hurdles to the flat 400, but I trusted my training. I knew this was possible. I just had to stay composed and get it done.”
The American admitted she drew strength from having Paulino in the outer lane: “You don’t run something like that without amazing women pushing you to it. She definitely helped, but I still had to finish the job.”
From Hurdles Queen to Flat 400m Champion
McLaughlin-Levrone has already rewritten the history of the 400m hurdles, breaking the world record six times, most recently at the 2024 Paris Olympics, when she lowered it to 50.37 seconds. But this latest triumph marks her first global title in the flat 400m, proving her versatility as well as her dominance.
It also extended her incredible unbeaten run to 19 straight one-lap races (hurdles and flat) since June 2023.
The Road Ahead: LA 2028 in Sight
As the world marvels at her feat, attention now shifts to the next Olympic cycle. With the Los Angeles 2028 Games only three years away, speculation is building about whether McLaughlin-Levrone will attempt the historic double — competing in both the 400m hurdles and the 400m flat in front of a home crowd.
“We’ll need to talk about the schedule for LA 2028,” she said. “Maybe I could do both. I’d need some recovery days between, and there’s tough competition in both events. You’ve got to respect all the girls. To perform at your best, your body must be ready.”
She was quick to acknowledge the team behind her success: “I know I’m just one person running on the track, but there’s an army behind me—my husband, my coach Bobby Kersee, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and so many others. This is as much their victory as it is mine.”
A Race That Redefined Women’s Athletics
What unfolded in Tokyo was more than just a final. It was a redefining moment for women’s track and field. For decades, Koch’s record stood alone, insulated by suspicion and distance.
On Thursday night, McLaughlin-Levrone and Paulino closed that gap and reminded the world that clean, modern athletes are capable of reaching those “untouchable” heights.
The roar of the Tokyo crowd, the rain-slick track, the sheer drama of the last 30 meters—this was a race for the history books. And for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, it was yet another chapter in a career that continues to rewrite the limits of human performance.
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