Follow our Olympic coverage in the lead-up to Paris.
Victory was already sealed as Sidney McLaughlin-Lefrogny rounded the corner before the final straight race at New York’s Icahn Stadium. On Sunday, she stunned her rivals and dashed the hopes of seven other runners in the 400m race at the New York Grand Prix. All that’s left is to make Sonya Richards-Rose sweat.
McLaughlin-Lefrone announced before the race that her goal was to break the American record. As she skied the last 100 meters against the wind of Manhattan, she almost made it. Her time of 48.75 seconds was just shy of the national record of 48.70 set by Richards-Ross in 2006.
“It was very close,” McLaughlin-Lefron told reporters afterward. “But you know what, it’s all good. There’s a lot of time to do it. It’s always just improving it and understanding the game.
It was the fastest time of anyone in the 400m this season – her first in the race since 11 months. It’s not even her best activity. It was McLaughlin-Lefron’s second time in three weekends competing in an event outside her specialty, and she posted this year’s world-best result.
Sydney leads the world!
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the women’s 400 meters with a time of 48.75. 💨
📺 @nbc & @Peacock | #ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/QA0Gx8fv7d
— NBC Olympics and Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 9, 2024
Sunday’s race was further proof of how McLaughlin-Lefron can get his way in the sprint world. Because of this, the natural tendency is to want her to do it all.
On Sunday, she won the 400m, her first event in 11 months. At the Los Angeles Grand Prix three weekends ago, she ran the 200-meter dash in 22.07 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than her time two weeks ago and the second-best time in the world this year. Before May, she had not competed in the 200m since 2018, according to World Athletics.
She is currently scheduled to compete in an event at the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month: the 400-meter hurdles, in which she is the world record holder. She is the reigning Olympic champion in the event and her showdown with Netherlands’ Femke Bohr promises to be one of the most intriguing sprint races in Paris.
But watching a McLaughlin-Lefron game is like driving around a block in a luxury rental car. Like just eating a ball of your favorite ice cream.
She may also compete in the Paris relay. But her infrequency only creates demand. She is arguably the most dominant and also the most mysterious. While she is definitely one of the most talented, she is also one of the wisest.
She possesses the qualities of a historical great and has the potential to achieve feats of deification. But one of the world’s fastest women is patiently pursuing historic glory.
Her performance at the New York Grand Prix may bring pressure to move the 400m hurdles up to the 400m hurdles in the trials and aim for a double. The 400-meter race is spread out over the first three days of the Olympic Trials (June 21-30 at University of Oregon’s Hayward Stadium), and the hurdles race begins on Day 7. Each event alternates between August 4th and 9th.
She said if she did something crazy in New York, it might prompt her to add the 400m to the trials.
“I don’t think I would think it’s crazy,” she told reporters, flashing a million-watt smile.
Doubles are not without risks. An injury during the 400m would jeopardize her best event, the 400m hurdles – the final event at the trials. She already missed the world championships in August due to injury. In addition, she has never run a 400-meter flat race under the pressure of an international competition. Competing at the Olympics for the first time will be a daunting challenge.
But McLaughlin-Lefron is so captivating that she leaves us craving more from this living legend. One of the faces of New Balance, she is a model athlete known for her personality, affability and speed.
Shakari Richardson may end up becoming the biggest name in track and field, with a dynamic personality to match her explosiveness. Noah Lyles has a similar charm. He dominated the 200 meters at the New York Grand Prix (19.77 seconds).
🗣️“I’m just trying to pace myself within the 100m. That’s really what it’s all about. I’m the 2023 100m world champion and I’m not going to give up that title. I plan to be an Olympic champion.
I know I’ve got 200 locked in. I only need two or three 200… pic.twitter.com/x8PXcWik1h
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) June 9, 2024
But McLaughlin-Lefron is a superstar in his own right. Her wholesome kindness has its own appeal. Her limited presence increases demand. And her fluid running style is breathtaking in its own right.
She won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, one in the 400m hurdles and one in the 4×400m hurdles. Just days after her 25th birthday, if she performed again, she would have won four gold medals.
Carl Lewis holds the U.S. track and field gold medal record with 9 gold medals. Allyson Felix won a total of 11 medals during her illustrious career, including 7 gold medals, the most of any track and field athlete. When McLaughlin-Lefron retires, she may become the most decorated Olympian in U.S. track and field history.
That’s why, even though track and field fans would like to see more of her, her choreography of the long-running series is interesting. In 2024, she competed in 5 events and competed in 5 events. All of this is just preparation for the 400-meter hurdles, working hard on various events in order to reach the peak in time and defend the title in the trials. But in doing so, she simply changed her range of options.
It’s not a crazy idea for her to compete in the 400m double in Paris and then turn around and compete in the 200m/100m double in Los Angeles in 2028. She can run 800 meters if she wants to. She’s just that good.
McLaughlin-Lefron is on his own game. Pun intended. In a sport where accolades translate into earnings, and in a country where track star status has a shelf life, she seemed uninterested in microwaving her own glory. She walks a focused, meticulous path and her talent obscures the horizon. The scarcity of her presence means these flashes of light must be savored.
(Photo of Sydney McLaughlin-Lefroen crossing the finish line in New York on Sunday: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
