For a few moments in Philadelphia, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone gave the crowd something unexpected. Not because she lost. That happens even to the best of athletes. But because the reigning Olympic champion, known as the face of the 400m hurdles, stepped into unfamiliar territory and revealed a sliver of something else: temptation. A brief, almost playful glimpse into what might come next. But what makes her a star is the fact that she knows exactly where she struggles—and she’s unafraid to say it out loud!
Let’s rewind to May 31, 2025, on the damp surface of Franklin Field, McLaughlin-Levrone lined up for the 100m hurdles at the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track meet. It was not her usual stage, and the result showed it. She finished fifth, recording a time of 12.70 seconds, a considerable distance behind Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, who won in 12.44. While her rhythm seemed off from the start, and her execution lacked the smooth timing she’s known for, the performance did not carry the sting of embarrassment. Instead, it looked like someone testing the waters, weighing the possibilities.
During a recent appearance on the Ready Set Go Podcast episode from July 3, McLaughlin-Levrone spoke candidly about that experiment. Narrating how she is looking forward to her coming performances the field, she was firm. Plus, she was confident on sharing what she struggled with. “I just want to be the best that I can be when I step on the track and I truly feel like I’m a student of the sport which is wanting to learn in every way shape and form I can so like learning how to do block starts out for the hunt right like I’m learning that I need to drop my front knee a little bit more parallel to the track and drive that first step and tow drag if I can and stay down”. That’s not all. Sydney further continued stretching on how much she is enjoying her new drill in the 100m.
“I low-key told Bobby,” she said, referring to her coach Bobby Kersee, “Don’t let me do this too much ‘cause I might not go back up.” The remark, offered with a laugh, hinted at more than just passing interest. It suggested a genuine appreciation for the 100m experience. One that caught her off guard. Though she framed it as a joke, the underlying message carried more weight. The short sprint was starting to feel like something she might not want to leave behind.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Women’s 400m Hurdles Final – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of United States celebrates after winning and setting a new world record. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
It wasn’t only the race itself that appealed to her. She described the learning process, refining block starts, adjusting her front knee position, and exploring the mechanics of toe-dragging. With visible enthusiasm. “I’m new out here,” she said. “It’s my third day.” She portrayed herself not as an icon dabbling outside her domain, but as a student immersed in a new discipline. McLaughlin-Levrone was not pretending to be a master. She was enjoying the basics, the awkwardness, and the effort.
The conversation soon turned to comparisons with Fred Kerley, another athlete who made headlines for transitioning from the 400m to the 100m. McLaughlin-Levrone listened, amused, as her co-hosts recounted how Kerley stunned critics by thriving in the shorter event. When asked if the 100m might become more than just a side project, she demurred. “It’s just fun, you know,” she replied. The comment was offhand, but the tone carried traces of something else. Perhaps a new direction, perhaps just a phase. Either way, she did not dismiss the possibility outright.
At 25, McLaughlin-Levrone still has time to explore. Her primary focus remains the 400m hurdles, where she has rewritten the standard. Yet, in her own words, she is still learning. Still studying. Still evolving. Whether or not she eventually “goes back up” may depend less on medals than on what continues to bring her joy. And right now, the straightaway sprint seems to have her attention. And staying true to her words, McLaughlin-Levrone is all ready to rock the Prefontaine Classic.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone signals a shift with quiet fire in the 400m
Even among athletes whose reputations precede them, there are occasions when attention does not follow out of duty but genuine curiosity. This Saturday, as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone enters the blocks at the Prefontaine Classic, the interest is neither perfunctory nor obligatory. The reigning queen of the 400m hurdles has declared, by presence alone, a renewed fascination with the open quarter-mile. It will be her third attempt this year at a flat distance that she has not yet formally embraced, though her previous ventures suggest she understands its demands better than most of its specialists.
Her reappearance at Hayward Field, the site of her stunning 48.74 last year, carries implications beyond simple participation. In May, she delivered a controlled 49.69 in Miami, a performance that drew modest headlines but carried subtle significance. She did not force the pace or reveal her full arsenal. And yet, that time placed her within the global top ten for the season. There was no grand pronouncement, no stated transition from the hurdles. But in entering this race, she has done what elite competitors often prefer: to state their case not in interviews, but in race assignments.
The 400m at the Prefontaine Classic is not part of the Diamond League program and will unfold quietly in the early afternoon. There will be no points at stake and no formal implications for Olympic team selection. Yet McLaughlin-Levrone’s decision to line up suggests that her trajectory in 2025 may no longer be solely defined by the ten hurdles that once shaped her signature event. She is not entering these contests out of novelty or exhibition. There is a discernible pattern forming. And with that, McLaughlin-Levrone seems to be ready to get going in familiar territory once again.
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