“One of my favorite parts about track is getting to meet the fans, especially with our sport. A lot of younger kids come to our meets, and seeing their excitement and being able to inspire them is one of my favorite parts of competing.” Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas perfectly summed up the experience of being an athlete with these words. And an athlete of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s stature knows exactly how powerful that love can be. At the Philadelphia leg of the Grand Slam Track, she didn’t have her best day, finishing fifth in the 100m hurdles. But even in defeat, a fan’s gesture helped bring a smile to her face. How so?

When the Grand Slam Track came to Miami, Sydney returned with a fierce will to win in her eyes. She took her mark on the 400 m H track, and once again, with a time of 52.07 seconds, Levrone won. Then it was time to dominate the 400 meters, she did with a 49.69-second win. Once again, she was crowned the victor of the event, as the crowd roared. So when she entered Philly, she entered as one of the biggest stars in the stadium. But there was also someone waiting for her, a fan who had dumped a major moment in her life to meet her idol, Sydney McLaughlin Lervone. Sadly, it wasn’t all good. Why?

The Paris Olympics gold medalist has won her last two GSTs, to make things challenging for herself, she did not race the 400 mH but the 100 mH. The entire track and field community watched the dominator being dominated in that race. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone finished 5th with a time of 12.70 seconds. Ackera Nugent took the win with 12.44s (-0.4). But it did not break the spirits of her young fan, who had gone above and beyond in her support. She skipped her prom.

Yes, the home of the famed Penn Relays, Franklin Field, saw a young girl donning a beautiful yellow dress, standing in there with a board that read, “I SKIPPED PROM FOR YOU, SYDNEY“. She introduced herself to the camera as she said, “My name is Avery, I came from the middle of New York, Buffalo area, and I came to see Sydney and obviously I skipped my prom for it. I’m so excited to see everything that comes out today.” Was it worth it? She actually did get to meet the Olympian and had a great talk with her. She even got an autograph. But it might have gone downhill when the 400m hurdler took to the 100m Hurdles.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s expectation of her 100-meter experiment

While her 12.70 in Philly is good, do you know it is not her best in the 100-meter hurdles? On May 9, 2021, at the USATF Golden Games held at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California, Sydney competed in the 100-meter hurdles, recording a time of 12.65 seconds with a legal tailwind of +2.0 m/s. Kendra Harrison secured first place with a time of 12.48 seconds, followed by Cindy Sember at 12.53 seconds. So when she entered the hundred meters, was she looking to break her personal best?

In April 2018, during her freshman year at the University of Kentucky, McLaughlin-Levrone competed in the 100m dash at the Tennessee Relays. She clocked a wind-assisted time of 11.07 seconds. This was her last race in the 100 meters and also her personal best. So, before GST, in an interview, she was asked if the conditions were ideal, did she have time in her mind for the distance?

To this, she answered, “Walk away healthy, that’s my number one thing, walk away healthy. These aren’t my main races. Obviously, I want to go out there, compete hard, compete well, and the goal is always to win but at the same time, I want to walk away healthy and get ready for the rest of the season.” While she might not have a time in her mind, how much do you think she will clock in the 100 meters tomorrow on June 1, 2025?