Two-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added to her legendary status during a stunning U.S. Olympic trials finals Sunday in Eugene, Ore., setting another world record in the 400-meter hurdles and beating the second-place runner by two seconds to once again qualify for the Summer Games.
McLaughlin-Levrone, 24, crushed the competition with a new world record time of 50.65 seconds, nearly two full seconds ahead of second-place finisher Anna Cockrell and 2.12 seconds ahead of third-place Jasmine Jones—all three qualified for the Paris Olympics.
McLaughlin-Levrone appeared shocked when she crossed the finish line.
“Praise God,” she told NBC during a nationally televised interview. “I was not expecting that, but He can do anything. Anything is possible in Christ. So yeah — I’m just amazed, baffled, and shocked.”
It’s not the first time McLaughlin-Levrone has amazed the track community. In fact, it was her fifth world record in an event she won at the Tokyo Olympics. (Her other gold came in the 400-meter relay in Tokyo.)
Incredibly, her time was faster than four of the runners in the women’s 400-meter flat final — in other words, faster than four runners who didn’t have obstacles in their way.
McLaughlin-Levrone told media members in a non-televised interview that she hopes to run a sub-50 second 400-meter hurdle one day.
“I would love to dip under 50 at some point,” she said.
When asked what her immediate reaction was when she crossed the line, she answered, “Thank you, God, for delivering me through the race.”
