While there have been a bunch of incredible finishes in the track and field events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 400m women’s hurdles was never expected to be one of them. That’s because the field was chasing Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has broken her own world record numerous times, and as long as she ran her race, she was the massive favorite to take home gold.
The biggest question was whether she would set a new world record, and that might require Dutch star Femke Bol to run one of her best races to push her. On Thursday night at Stade de France, we did not get a duel with Bol, but we did get a McLaughlin-Levrone world record as she dusted the field once again, setting a new world record with an astounding 50.37.
There’s NO catching Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone!
She adds ANOTHER 400m hurdles gold medal and WORLD RECORD to her collection. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/RJ7reApKfV
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
It’s truly incredible watching her run this race, because while everyone else is managing speed and struggling with the stamina required in one of the hardest races in track and field, she just seems to be cruising at all times. To put her dominance and speed in perspective, her time in the hurdles final would’ve qualified her for the Olympic final in the regular 400m — where people run without leaping over obstacles.
American Anna Cockrell stunned Bol with a silver medal finish, as the Dutch star just didn’t have the gas down the stretch, but the story was McLaughlin-Levrone continuing to compete with history and herself — and winning that battle along with gold medals.
