“It’s definitely been a shift,” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said right before diving headfirst into something totally new, the 100m hurdles. Wait, Sydney in the 100m hurdles? Yep, you heard that right! The queen of the 400m hurdles and 400m flat was ready to switch gears and shake things up. But man, did things take a surprising turn on May 31st at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia. Instead of dominating like usual, Sydney got handed a tough reality check by some fierce Jamaican rivals, and it all went down at the Philadelphia Slam, right at Franklin Field.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone isn’t new to pressure. At just 25, she’s already has records under her name in the 400m hurdles. So when she lined up for the 100m hurdles in Philly, you could almost anticipate a collective gasp. It was only her fifth time running this event since 2014, but because it’s Sydney, many just assumed she’d coast to victory. After all, she’s used to winning. But this time? The challenge was real, and the lineup? Absolutely stacked. She was up against some of the world’s fastest hurdlers.

Ackera Nugent, the Jamaican star with a personal best of 12.24. Tia Jones from the U.S., with PB 12.19. Megan Tapper, another Jamaican threat with a 12.44 PB. Then came Tonea Marshall (PB 12.36), Ditaji Kambundji (PB 12.40), Danielle Williams (PB 12.32), and Christina Clemons (PB 12.51). Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s PB in this event? 12.61. Respectable, yes, but in this field, she was statistically the slowest. Let that sink in. The reigning queen of the 400m hurdles was now the underdog. So, how did it play out? Well, horrible!

Jamaican rival, Ackera Nugent, took the win in 12.44 seconds, earning a full 12 points. Tia Jones followed closely with 12.60 for 8 points, and Megan Tapper claimed third with 12.66 (6 points). Tonea Marshall ran 12.68 to take fourth (5 points), while Sydney came in fifth, just behind, with 12.70, picking up 4 points. Ditaji Kambundji placed sixth in 12.79 (3 points), Danielle Williams seventh with 12.84 (2 points), and Christina Clemons rounded things off in eighth at 12.96 (1 point). Was it a tough day for Sydney? No question. The last time she finished fifth was way back at the 2016 Rio Olympics, when she was just 16, making her Olympic debut. She made it to the semifinals but ended up fifth in her heat with a 56.32 time, missing out on the final.

Yet, realizing that leaving your comfort zone is tough is important. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may still surprise us. She will compete with them again the next day, after having a second day of intensive testing. It’s a 100m flat race, which she’s never competed in professionally before. Can she actually succeed at this? Let’s take it back to her college days and look at what happened…

Can Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone turn the tables in the 100 meters and make history?

For the first time, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won’t be hurdling but will run the traditional 100m without obstacles. No obstacles, only fast sprinting as soon as the race starts. Back then, in 2018, she ran such a fast time of 11.07 seconds at the University of Kentucky. But will she be able to compete with others who are stronger than her? Ackera Nugent from Jamaica is nearly there with a PB 11.09, Tia Jones from the US has a 11.50, and Megan Tapper from Jamaica has a great 11.33. It may appear, according to stats, that Sydney is the top choice, but experience tells us stats don’t always decide the outcome. Will she be able to call herself the winner? Her recent results indicate that she is likely to do well.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s 2025 season? Absolutely on fire. At the Kingston Slam in April, she opened with a smooth 52.76 in the 400m hurdles and a killer 50.32 in the 400m flat, scooping a perfect 24 points and a cool $100,000. Then, just last month at the Miami Slam, she cranked it up even more, smashing the meet record in the hurdles with a 52.07 and blasting under 50 seconds flat with a 49.69. Another perfect score. Another big payday. She’s been unstoppable, and now she’s throwing the 100m sprint into the mix. But hold up. Remember, she’s had some tough moments too.

Take the 2019 World Championships in Doha, for example. Sydney gave it her all but ended up with silver, clocking 52.23 seconds,  just a hair behind Dalilah Muhammad’s world record of 52.16. That loss stung big time; she wanted gold, and missing it by such a tiny margin crushed her. But instead of holding her back, that moment fired her up. Since then, she’s smashed world records and snagged Olympic gold, proving she’s one of the fastest and fiercest on the planet. And maybe today’s loss might be her key to success!!