On a rain-slicked track in Tokyo, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once again etched her name into the history books, winning the 400-meter World Championship gold medal with a time of 47.78 seconds—the second-fastest in history. This victory in the flat 400m, an event relatively new to her, was far from a solitary time trial; it was a hard-fought battle against the world’s best, proving her dominance extends far beyond the hurdles that made her a legend.

“This season was a test of faith beyond compare. To take the leap from comfort into the unknown required so much prayer and petitioning. Making the switch from the hurdles to the 400m flat was truly a God lead decision,” she wrote during a recent Instagram post. However, in a recent interview featured on Bodega Track’s YouTube channel, the Olympic champion offered a more practical glimpse into the mindset driving her career choices, revealing a thoughtful perspective on lane assignments, the pursuit of discomfort, and the simple pleasures she dreams of after track.

The geometry of a track is a science unto itself, and for McLaughlin-Levrone, lane five holds a particular charm. When asked about her preference, she explained “I feel like you get just the perfect balance of being outside but still be able to see people in front of you. And I’ve run some of my best and fastest races in 5, so I think it’s my favorite.”

This strategic advantage was on full display in Tokyo, where her placement in lane five allowed her to monitor her main rival, Marileidy Paulino, in the outer lane and execute her race plan to perfection on her way to breaking a 42-year-old world record. This calculated approach also explains her surprising shift to the flat 400 meters.

After achieving unprecedented dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, including breaking her own world record six times, McLaughlin-Levrone sought a new challenge. “I think there’s something to be said about being uncomfortable and I think the hurdles for me have been so fun and so normal for so long that to step outside of that and put myself in a position that really forces me to have to learn and to be resilient has been challenging but I’ve learnt so much and I’m excited to put it all together and show myself I can do it.”

This move, which some observers saw as a risk, was a deliberate effort to grow as an athlete. And the results speak for themselves—she is now on the precipice of breaking a world record that has stood for four decades. Looking beyond the track, McLaughlin-Levrone has a clear vision for her future, though she has confirmed she does not plan to be competing into her late thirties. Her post-retirement bucket list is filled with the activities that her professional career currently forbids. “I want to go skiing or snowboarding. That’s like the number 1 thing,” she stated.

It’s an adventure she and her husband, former NFL player Andre Levrone Jr., have promised themselves for “as soon as I’m done.” She even laughs about the desire to “run routes” on the football field to see if she’d be any good, a playful idea currently off-limits due to the risk of injury. These dreams highlight the sacrifices elite athletes make, where even casual “fooling around” carries too high a consequence.

Whether it’s leveraging the advantage of lane five, conquering a new event to stay challenged, or planning for a fulfilling life after sports, she demonstrates the depth of character behind the extraordinary athletic talent. As the track and field world speculates on whether she will pursue the 400m hurdles world record or finally topple Marita Koch’s long-standing flat 400m record at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, one thing is clear: McLaughlin-Levrone is running her own race, both on and off the track, with purpose and passion. However, are you aware that she is also nearing another record, which is set by Jamaican legend Usain Bolt and American legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee?

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone joined the big names in track and field

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has now snagged three global individual Championships Records after her impressive gold medal win in the 400m at the Tokyo World Championships. She set her world and Olympic records for the 400-meter hurdles at 50.37 seconds during the 2024 Paris Olympics. So, the world championship record for that event is 50.68 seconds, set back in 2022 in Eugene.

Also, she added a  new record for the 400-meter dash, coming in at 47.78 seconds! This achievement puts her in a special group, with only two athletes in history having more records: Usain Bolt and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, both of whom hold four.

Back at the 2009 Berlin Worlds, the Jamaican ran an incredible 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter and 19.19 seconds in the 200-meter. Then, during  the 2012 London Olympics, he clocked an impressive 9.63 seconds in the 100-meter dash and helped his team achieve a 36.84-second finish in the 4×100-meter relay, setting four championship records in the process.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is as impressive, with four Olympic records to her name. She nailed a long jump record of 7.40 meters at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and let’s not forget her heptathlon score of 7,044 points from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. And we can’t overlook her world record in the heptathlon, where she scored 7,291 points back at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

McLaughlin-Levrone’s path to making this elite duo an elite trio, highlights her amazing versatility and strength in a bunch of different events. She knows how to break records in both the hurdles and the flat 400-meter, showing off her skills and versatility as an athlete.