Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone delivered a jaw-dropping performance in the women’s 400 meters, clocking an impressive 47.78 seconds at the World Championships, marking the fastest time recorded by a woman in four decades. This victory represents a significant achievement as McLaughlin-Levrone completes her transition from the 400 meters hurdles, where she has already established herself as a champion.
Competing under rainy conditions in Tokyo, the American athlete added a gold medal in the flat 400 meters to her accolades, which already include two Olympic golds and a world title in the hurdles. Finishing just behind her was the defending champion Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic, who secured the silver medal with a time of 47.98 seconds, claiming her spot as the third-fastest woman in history for the distance. Completing the podium was Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, a former world champion, who took home bronze with a time of 48.19 seconds.
Reflecting on her performance, McLaughlin-Levrone expressed gratitude for the competition that pushed her to excel. Upon crossing the finish line, she looked at the time displayed on the scoreboard, seemingly in disbelief, and signaled a potential interest in pursuing the world record of 47.60 seconds, set by Marita Koch in 1985. Many are now speculating about the directions she might take in her career as the 26-year-old, who has broken the 400m hurdles world record six times, continues to make history.
This latest win marks McLaughlin-Levrone’s 19th consecutive victory in one-lap races—both hurdles and flat—dating back to June 2023. In her post-race comments, she acknowledged the intensity of the competition and emphasized the importance of staying relaxed as she navigated the final stretch of the race.
On the men’s side, the spotlight was on Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, who clinched the gold medal in the 400 meters with a time of 43.53 seconds. Kebinatshipi executed a strategic race, allowing others to surge ahead before making a strong finish that left him with a commanding lead. Trinidad and Tobago’s Jareem Richards took the silver in a national record time of 43.72 seconds, while Kebinatshipi’s compatriot Bayapo Ndori rounded out the evening with a bronze medal, finishing in 44.20 seconds.
As the championships continue, both McLaughlin-Levrone and Kebinatshipi’s performances have set a high standard, capturing the attention of fans and athletes alike as they look forward to potential future records and continued success on the track.
