Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has rewritten records in the 400m hurdles six times, lowering barriers no woman had touched before. This year she stepped into unfamiliar territory by leaving the barriers behind, entering the 400m flat as a full-season pursuit. That gamble ended with a resounding statement in Tokyo on September 18, where she won the World Championship title in 47.78 seconds, the fastest time by any woman in four decades and a new championship record. It was also the second-fastest mark in history, behind only Marita Koch’s long-standing 47.60 from 1985.

The immediate question now is what direction she will take heading toward Los Angeles 2028. McLaughlin-Levrone made clear after her Tokyo win that she is weighing a double challenge if the Olympic timetable allows. “We will need to talk about the schedule for the (Olympics),” she said. Sydney further added, “Maybe I could do both 400m and 400m hurdles. I would need some days off between those events and there is a tough field in both events.”

Track analyst Anderson Emerole believes her performance has positioned her ideally for such a pursuit. “I think she set herself up well for 400-400 hurdle double in LA. So probably what she does is she continues to hurdle. Maybe next year she hurdles. The year after, in 2027, she mixes with 400-400 hurdles, but then decides what she does at the World Champs. She has the wild card now in the 400, and no one’s touching her in the 400 hurdles. And then she makes sure that she’s ready for the double in LA.”

Emerole even argued that she has already proven her ability in both events, which should justify a schedule adjustment to make the double possible. In fact, with LA 2028 on the horizon, the evidence points toward her preparing for a historic triple-gold attempt: 400m, 400m hurdles, and the relay.

Emerole further stated, “Sydney set herself up perfectly for a 400/400H double in LA 2028. She proved she can won gold in both events which should justify a schedule change. Then with the 400m wild card, she can run the 400H at 2027 USAs and test the double at Beijing Worlds. I put nothing past Sydney.”

McLaughlin-Levrone’s victory was not without resistance. Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino pressed her from the outer lanes, ensuring that the race was decided only in the final strides. Paulino finished in 47.98, the third fastest mark in history, while Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain took bronze in 48.19. For the first time, two women dipped under 48 seconds in the same race. “I knew there were a lot of people doubting me with making the switch from 400m hurdles to the flat 400m, but ultimately, I had faith in my training. I knew I had it in me,” McLaughlin-Levrone said after the race. She clearly knew her worth and acumen.

For now, McLaughlin-Levrone has accumulated four Olympic golds, two in Tokyo and two in Paris, alongside four World Championship titles. She owns six of the ten fastest performances ever recorded in the 400m hurdles and has now moved to second on the all-time list in the 400m flat. Interestingly, just weeks ago, while Sydney sat in a conversation with Olympics.com, she narrated her thoughts behind taking up 400m flat over hurdles. But she admitted she did not know whether the 400m flat would define her path to Los Angeles.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s hesitation about 400m flat got resolved in Tokyo

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone left little doubt about her intentions after stepping away from the hurdles. What she once described as “taking a different road than I’m normally comfortable with” had taken a new turn. Her doubts has transformed into a decisive statement right after the World Championships. Was her victory over 400 metres flat the resolution to the uncertainty she had expressed only weeks before?

In conversation after her US Championships win in Eugene, she had admitted the transition was still a process. She even referred to it as “a shift in changing events and taking on a new challenge.” At the time, she reflected on how the flat race demanded more mental resilience than the hurdles, acknowledging, “I miss the hurdles a little bit when I’m running. But it’s been a mental gain.”  And when asked about her event plans for Los Angeles, she failed to offer any firm direction about her long-term future. She told Olympics.com, “I don’t even know the answer to that question yet.”

But now, that hesitation no longer lingers in Tokyo. The World title reinforced that her commitment to the 400 metres had settled into something more permanent. Maybe she was waiting for the right moment to assure the world of her decision and caliber. The athlete who had spoken of uncertainty only months before left the track with a triumph. And that triumph itself established her path. The win itself served as the response to the very question she had been unable to answer in Eugene.