Day 6 - World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025
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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone made history at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Thursday, setting the championship record in the 400 meters to win gold. The American sprinter posted a 47.78 to become the first woman in almost 40 years to break the 48-second mark in the event. With the victory, she is now the first athlete to win gold in the women's 400 and women's 400-meter hurdles at the world championships.

McLaughlin-Levrone outpaced Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, who also broke the 48-second threshold with a national record time of 47.98 to finish second. Paulino's time ranks as the third-fastest in history behind McLaughlin-Levrone's mark and the world record of 47.60, which East Germany's Marita Koch achieved in 1985. However, that record has since been exposed for athlete doping despite it still standing in the record books. Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain took bronze at 48.19.

"Just grateful," McLaughlin-Levrone said. "You know it's there, and you put the work in. It's just, when you see it come to fruition, it's always just a bit of disbelief. I knew it was going to be a really fast race. Great competition. To see it all come together, there's always just a bit of awe and wonder."

The feat was all the more impressive given the track conditions. Rain doused the track and left it slick and covered in puddles prior to the event.

"[Coach Bobby Kersee] believed that the time was there, and I believed in Bobby and our work," McLaughlin-Levrone said. "So it really was just a matter of putting the pieces together and running my race. I think it just shows that anything really is possible; you just gotta work for it and work really hard and just trust the Lord. I don't have many more words for you guys right now. I'm still trying to process all of it."

The gold medal is McLaughlin-Levrone's first in the 400 meters on the world stage. She does, however, boast three golds in the 400-meter hurdles (two at the Olympics and one at worlds) and four golds in the 4x400 relay (two at the Olympics and worlds apiece). She also took silver at the 2019 world championships in the 400-meter hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone is the world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles and broke her own best time at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a blazing 50.37.