Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone smashes 400m hurdles world record, takes gold

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S., the defending Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles, crushed her own world record of 50.65 in Thursday’s final, blasting to a gold medal in 50.37 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone’s top contender, the Netherland’s Femke Bol, who had won her last 40 races, couldn’t match McLaughlin-Levrone’s pace, taking bronze in 52.15, behind American Anna Cockrell, who won silver in a personal best of 51.87.

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McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol had not raced head-to-head since 2022, and this was only the third time they have competed against each other.

McLaughlin-Levrone returned to the hurdles this year after a knee injury forced her to sit out the 2023 season. She didn’t let this hold her back; at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, she set a new world record of 50.65, smashing her previous record from 2022. Her time was so fast that it even obliterated the Olympic standard for the 400m event without hurdles.

Bronze-medallist Bol claimed the world title in Budapest last year. Last week in Switzerland, she ran under 51 seconds for the first time, setting a European record of 50.95. She followed that up with a 51.30, her second-fastest time ever, at the London Diamond League.

On Saturday, the Netherlands took the Olympic crown in the 4×400 mixed relay. Bol, who headed into the final 200m of the race in fourth position, passed three other athletes, edging out Team USA’s Kaylyn Brown by one-hundredth of a second.

Savannah Sutherland of Borden, Sask., took seventh place in 53.88. She had snagged one of two non-automatic qualifying spots in her semi-final with a time of 53.80 seconds to get a spot in Thursday evening’s final.

“It’s overwhelming–the atmosphere out there was insane, and it really pushed some girls to some really fast times. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Sutherland told media post-race.

Sutherland, who is in her final year at the University of Michigan, emphasized how grateful she was to have her name in conversation with the best 400m hurdles athletes in history. “It’s a position I never really imagined that I would be in, and I’m just so grateful for that,” she said. “Even in stiff competition, the bounds and limits are always being tested by these amazing athletes, so it’s a really exciting time to be a 400m hurdler. It’s a historic moment for all of us, and I think that we keep pushing each other to be faster and faster.”

Sutherland will run in the heats of the 4x400m relay on Friday morning.