The 10 months after the U.S. Olympic Trials may have seemed like a long wait to Dalilah Muhammad. The last time she raced Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone there, she got crushed by a whole 3.62 seconds. And had to wait till April 2025 for a new opportunity. That’s when the Grand Slam Track kicked off with the two veterans going head-to-head against each other. McLaughlin-Levrone had a 7-6 advantage over her in the 400m hurdles. But GST didn’t flip the script. It added another chapter to SML’s winning story. But the New Jersey native has not always enjoyed such an edge when it comes to Dalilah Muhammad!
This time, in Jamaica, the gap between their defeats was brought down to 1.83 seconds. But Muhammad’s 54+ timing still was no answer for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s 52s+ domination. But the story was entirely different approximately 9 years ago. We’re talking about their first race ever. That time, the reputations were different. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was a teen phenom, and Dalilah? She was already the U.S. title holder from 2013 and the World’s silver medallist the same year. But this isn’t at all that intimidated Sydney.
In her book, Far beyond Gold, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone detailed her very first race against Dalilah Muhammad at the U.S. Olympic Trials 2016, Eugene. Sydney had never run televised live nationally before. Blaring music. Walkouts. She never did all that. Or even faced the press after. Basically, she hadn’t seen track stardom. Also, a major point, “I didn’t previously know any of my competitors,” she confessed. But she knew, if she’s through this race, she’ll be the youngest Olpian since 1972! So after the 2-day gap between the semis and the finals, which felt like the longest 48 hours of Sydney’s life, she showed up for the 400m hurdles final.
Now, Sydney had that race memorized at the back of her hand. 23 steps to the first hurdle. 15 to the second. Both with the right leg. But when she saw others going fast, especially Dalilah, who looked like “No one was going to catch her that day,” she pushed. Sydney picked up pace too, but between the second and third hurdle, she did something bizarre. “I took just fourteen strides before it was time to jump, this time with my left foot ahead.” Yes, one less step than usual. And with the opposite foot. “The instinct just wouldn’t let me slow down,” she said. In fact, by the time she reached the tenth hurdle, Dalilah was miles ahead but Sydney was good enough for bronze. That’s when she thought, “There were no referees, judges, or subjective standards. Just a simple question: Can you get to the finish line first?” Oh, she did.
Finishing times? Dalilah Muhammad clocked 52.88 seconds. And Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone finished in 54.15. Well, Sydney couldn’t beat Dalilah here. But yes, she stepped on the same podium as the woman she was very intimidated by. That’s quite a comeback for someone who called her father minutes before the race, saying, “Can I please pull out?” Yup, she truly was so scared of her competitors. But that soon changed.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once underestimated Dalilah
Although Dalilah went on to win the Rio gold while Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone didn’t even make the finals, there was one time when she underestimated her rival. It all started after Oslo’s Bislett Games 2019. Sydney had just edged out Dalilah in a tight race, and naturally, her confidence was high. So, when she rolled into the 2019 USA Championships, she was feeling herself. “When I showed up in Des Moines for the US Nationals in July 2019, I thought I was ready for my first major race because I’d beaten Dalilah the month before. I was not.”
But the race flipped. In the heats, Sydney dropped a 54.24, good enough for second. Then came the finals. She improved and ran a solid 52.88, but came second. Because Dalilah? Not only did she win—she broke the world record. A blistering 52.20, Dalilah even smashed a 16-year-old record like paper. And Sydney was floored. “I was shocked. Stunned. Confused. Once I’d beaten Dalilah, I’d naively thought I knew what she had in the tank. Yet, she beat me. Not just beat me but demolished me—and took the record I had been dreaming of with her. Sheesh.”
Well, Champions don’t fade away easily. With 2025 being Dalilah Muhammad’s last season, do you think she’ll be able to level the 6-8 score with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone? Let us know below!
The post Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s First Race With Fierce Rival Dalilah Muhammad Resurfaces After Olympic Champions’ Grand Slam Track Clash appeared first on EssentiallySports.
