Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, born on August 7, 1999, is an American hurdler and sprinter who holds the world record in the 400 metres hurdles and the American record in the flat 400 metres. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400 m hurdles (2020, 2024) and a two-time World champion (2022, 2025), also taking gold in the 4x400 m relay at all four of those championships. She was the first woman to break both the 52-second and 51-second barriers in the 400 m hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone set her world record of 50.37 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics and ran a championship record of 47.78 in the flat 400 m at the 2025 World Championships, making her the second fastest woman in history over that distance. She holds six of the ten fastest 400 m hurdles times ever recorded and was named World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year in 2022.

Her talent was apparent early: at 15, she won the 400 m hurdles at the 2015 World Youth Championships, and in 2016, she became the youngest athlete to qualify for a U.S. Olympic track team since 1980. She holds the world U20 record of 53.60 seconds in the event and was the 2019 Diamond League champion.