After winning 2 Olympic gold medals at the Paris Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone began thinking about what comes next! “It would be an honor to compete for USA,” she said in 2024, referring to the LA 2028 Olympics on home soil. But two years later, things look different as she prepares to welcome her first baby girl in July. Does that mean her Olympic dream is over? Not at all. She is still planning a return, and her belief stays strong after getting advice from Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has lived a similar journey as a mother and top-level sprinter.

In a recent interview with WWD Footwear, McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about the guidance she received from Fraser-Pryce. “She had an amazing career, had her son, and then came back. I talked to her about how she did it and what she would do differently. It’s a unique situation to be in,” she said.

For Sydney, it was not just inspiration from a distance, but a real conversation with someone who understands what it takes to return to elite sport after motherhood.

McLaughlin-Levrone has always valued motherhood, even though the timing of it remained uncertain. But in early 2026, she announced her pregnancy after four years of marriage to Andre Levrone Jr. while still holding on to her athletic goals. A big part of that mindset comes from seeing athletes who have done it before her, especially Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Fraser-Pryce’s journey is undoubtedly inspiring in track and field. By 2017, she had already won 2 Olympic gold medals and 7 World Championship titles when she chose to step away from competition due to pregnancy. Soon after, she withdrew from the World Championships in London and even watched the women’s 100m final while in early labour, before giving birth to her son, Zyon, on August 7, 2017. For many, that moment could have marked the end of an elite career. But for her, it was only a pause.

Just months later, she was back in training. By 2018, she was building her form again, and in 2019, she made a powerful return to the top, winning gold in the 100m at the World Championships in Doha with 10.71 seconds. Years later, she went even faster, running 10.60 seconds in 2021 and becoming the third fastest woman in the world that season. That journey is exactly what has inspired McLaughlin-Levrone.

But Fraser-Pryce is not the only influence. McLaughlin-Levrone’s Tokyo relay teammate Allyson Felix has also shaped how she sees life after childbirth. Felix, now 40, is returning to competition after having two children and is exploring a possible comeback ahead of the Los Angeles Games.

Looking at that, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said, “It’s going to be a challenge for her, [the same way] it probably is going to be for me. But it makes the journey, I’m sure, so much sweeter, especially when you have a little face looking at you.”

Though Felix has already lived that life. Back in 2018, she gave birth to her daughter Camryn, but that wasn’t easy, as she suffered complications called severe pre-eclampsia. Despite that, she returned to training in 2019 and went on to win gold in the 4x400m mixed relay and women’s 4x400m relay at the World Championships in Doha.

But for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, this comeback could be tougher than it looks on paper. Because she’s not returning to the World Championships but aiming for the biggest stage in sport.

2027 could decide Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Olympic future

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has made it clear she is not rushing her return, but LA 2028 is on her mind. “My number one goal right now is to deliver my daughter healthy, have a healthy baby in July, and then we’ll start working our way back for the Olympics,” she said in an interview with Essence earlier in April. “But yeah, I think that’s the goal. That’s where my mind is focused, and it’s going to be a journey to get there, but I’m excited to take it one step at a time and see what we can do.”

Assuming all goes according to plan, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s return program should take him into late 2026, with a gradual return period, then a training block in 2027 – that will be turning. This would give her about a year of full competition build-up before LA 2028, which isn’t a long runway for the elite sprinter.

And if she is truly on track for the Olympics, the first big test will come in 2027 at the World Athletics Championships. Even that step will not be easy. After all, World Athletics has tightened entry standards ahead of the qualification window opening on 23 August 2026. Only about 40 percent of athletes will qualify through direct entry marks, while the remaining 60 percent will depend on world rankings.

For the women’s 400m, the expected 2027 entry standard is around 50.00 seconds. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s personal best of 47.78 seconds is well above that level, but after a long break, the real challenge is not speed. It is consistency and staying active enough to hold ranking points once she returns.

On top of that, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is chasing two events for LA 2028. The 400m hurdles is her strongest race, but she is also capable in the flat 400m. The problem is timing. At major championships, the 400m hurdles final and the 400m rounds can fall on the same day, leaving very little recovery time between races. That makes doubling up far more demanding than it appears.

So while LA 2028 is still the destination, the real story is what happens in between.