Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Shifting Her Goals Ahead Of U.S. Nationals

Over the years, the 400-meter hurdles category has been dominated by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. At the Paris Olympics, the 25-year-old successfully defended her gold while lowering her world record to 50.37 seconds. However, McLaughlin-Levrone has decided to shift her focus from her expertise event for the upcoming Track and Field Outdoor Championships. She has decided to skip the 400-meter hurdles event and will compete in the 400-meter flat category instead at the Nationals to be held from July 31 to August 3.

According to NBC, McLaughlin-Levrone was “expected to choose one of the flat 400-meter or 400-meter hurdles for Nationals, but not both.” The decision to skip the 400-meter hurdles can also be due to scheduling issues at the event. On day three of the Nationals to be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the Women’s 400-meter flat final (1:03 p.m.) is almost 15 minutes before the 400-meter hurdle semi-final (1:19 p.m.). McLaughlin-Levrone’s decision to skip the event at Nationals can be a strategic one as well, as she can still qualify for the event at the 2025 Worlds. For this, she will have to participate in the Diamond League races between the Nationals and the Worlds, qualify for the finals, and ultimately win the Diamond League final in Zurich.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Expanding Her Categories

McLaughlin-Levrone has cemented her legacy in the hurdles events with world titles, Olympic wins, and multiple world record breaks. However, she has been trying to expand her categories in the past few seasons, also participating in the 400-meter flat. In 2022, during an interview, McLauglin-Levrone stated that she would look forward to “expand to the 400-meter flat and see what’s possible there.”

At the 2023 Worlds, she decided to participate in the flat event after qualifying at Nationals with a personal best time. However, due to a knee injury, she was forced to sit out of the event. At the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials, McLaughlin-Levrone, who had initially planned to compete in the 400-meter hurdles, 400-meter flat, and 200-meter races, forfeited the 200 and 400-meter flat events due to schedule conflicts. Despite not racing the event at a global stage, she is the second-fastest American woman, with a time of 48.74, set at the 2023 U.S. Nationals.

So far, in 2025, McLaughlin-Levrone has competed in three 400-meter flat races. At the inaugural edition of the Grand Slam track in Jamaica, she posted a time of 50.32. It was followed by a time of 49.69 at the Miami edition of the event. In July, she claimed her season’s best with a time of 49.43, making her the world’s sixth fastest woman for the season.

Despite a steady performance in the event, McLaughlin-Levrone will also face intense competition at Nationals. 21-year-old Aaliyah Butler and American Indoor record holder Isabella Whittaker both have been faster than Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 2025.