Track & Field

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins 400m hurdles, makes history with back-to-back gold

New Jersey's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has one more event at the Paris Olympics after Thursday's 400m hurdles final

New Jersey's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has done it again.

The USA track star, who turned 25 a day ago, won the women's 400m hurdles in Paris Thursday, becoming the first woman to ever win back-to-back gold medals in the Olympic event and just the fifth U.S. woman to win gold medals in consecutive Olympic Games in any track and field event.

She also broke her own world record -- again.

McLaughlin-Levrone finished with a time of 50.37. Behind her were American Anna Cockrell (51.87 ) and Femke Bol (52.15), the Paris gold medalist in 4×400m mixed relay from the Netherlands.

McLaughlin-Levrone earlier cruised through her second women's 400m hurdles race, appearing to not put in 100%. Still, she had the fastest time (52.13) out of everyone who advanced.

EUGENE, OREGON - JUNE 30: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reacts after setting a new world record in the women's 400 meter hurdles final on Day Ten of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field on June 30, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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EUGENE, OREGON - JUNE 30: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reacts after setting a new world record in the women's 400 meter hurdles final on Day Ten of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field on June 30, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The two-time gold medalist is expected to defend her medal in the women's 4x400m relay on Friday.

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McLaughlin-Levrone keeps pushing herself and the competition to new heights. At the Olympic Trials in Oregon in June, she set a world record of 50.65 seconds in the women's 400m hurdles, her premiere event, though just broke it.

She first made her Olympic debut in Rio 2016 at the age of 17, the youngest U.S. Olympian in track and field since 1972. She lost in the semifinals that year.

U.S. hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone explains why she wore a tiara after setting a world record in the 400m hurdles and bringing home a gold medal.

Sydney McLaughlin's Olympics schedule 2024

EventDayTimeHow to Watch
Women's 400m hurdles finalThursday, Aug. 83:25 p.m. ET/12:25 a.m. PTPeacock, NBCOlympics.com
Women's 4x400m relay round 1Friday, Aug. 94:40 a.m. ET/1:40 a.m. PTPeacock, NBCOlympics.com
Women's 4x400m relay finalSaturday, Aug. 103:14 p.m. ET/12:14 p.m.Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
Team USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has broken the world record in 400-meter hurdles five times in her athletic career – but years ago, she got her start racing the boys at recess and practicing getting off the blocks with her 4th grade teacher, Mr. Tennant: “He always had his bets on me.”
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