Sydney McLaughlin opens outdoor season in men’s race

Sydney McLaughlin opened up her 2019 outdoor season in Los Angeles at UCLA on Saturday in the men’s 4x400m. The 19-year-old ran an impressive 49.6 split to help her team Odd Squad to a win.

Can we talk about Sydney McLaughlin running 49.6 on a relay today?

? @GoSydGo pic.twitter.com/P5eWh4qpGv

— RunnerSpace (@runnerspace) April 14, 2019

McLaughlin’s teammates were Blake Leeper, a para-athlete and eight-time world record holder, Taylor Ros and Jeffrey Fisher, who are both American sprinters.

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McLaughlin only raced once this past indoor season, winning the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 500m in Boston. McLaughlin graduated high school in 2017 and started at the University of Kentucky the following fall. Many running fans were surprised at the hurdler’s decision to go to school as opposed to turning pro right out of the gate, but her first year in the NCAA was very successful.  While at Kentucky, the freshman managed to set the collegiate outdoor record and world junior record in the 400m hurdles, running 52.75, and a world junior record in the indoor 400m of 50.36.

Immediately after the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, McLaughlin announced that she would not be returning to collegiate running. McLaughlin is now coached by former Olympic gold medallist Joanna Hayes and runs for New Balance.

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