What happens when you dare to outrun a legend? You don’t just make headlines—you shift the narrative. It all started with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the undisputed queen of the 400m hurdles, a world record holder at 50.37s, and one of the fastest flat sprinters in history with 48.74s. To challenge that kind of greatness, you need more than speed. You need a heart. Fire. Grit. And Isabella Whittaker brought all three. The 23-year-old Razorback didn’t just enter the arena. She’s rewriting it, one lap at a time. The spark?

It lit back in March at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach. Whittaker dropped jaws with 49.24 seconds, a new American and collegiate indoor record, the fastest time in the world for 2025, and a full statement to the track world. She crushed Britton Wilson’s North American record (49.48 s) and even beat Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s NCAA indoor mark (50.36 s) from 2018. That was no fluke. It was a message: she’s coming. Fast forward to June 15 at the Wanda Diamond League’s BAUHAUS-Galan meet in Stockholm, and Isabella doubled down.

Just three days after Oslo, she pulled up with elite effort, winning the women’s 400m in a new outdoor personal best of 49.78s. Behind her, the field was fierce: Henriette Jaeger (50.07s), Amber Anning (50.17s, SB), and Martina Weil, who broke Chile’s national record with 50.39s. The race also saw season’s bests from Lieke Klaver, Sada Williams, and Andrea Miklos, but no one could catch Whittaker. Even with Salwa Eid Naser’s world lead of 48.67 s, Isabella’s rise looks more real every time she steps on the line. And it’s not just physical. There’s a reason behind the momentum. “I felt a little sluggish today; it was hard to come back after racing in Oslo,” she admitted post-race. “But I pressed a little harder at the beginning and was happy with my place coming down the homestretch.”

She credits her mental edge to early battles this season: “I was racing Grand Slam earlier this year and it really helped. You’re lining up with the best of the best, and it forces you to believe in yourself, to show up on the day and deliver.” But the most powerful fuel? It’s personal. “My family sees the joy in track and field—my sister Juliette competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 800m—and they’ve always tried to instill that in us. It’s not a lot of pressure, like people might think. It’s joy.”

Next up? Isabella’s staying overseas for the Paris Diamond League before heading back home to train and lock in for the U.S. Championships. She’s still chasing the world lead, sure. But with every step, Whittaker is proving something bigger: she’s not running in anyone’s shadow; she’s building a lane of her own. But the journey ahead won’t be easy. How does she close the gap to the 48s?

Out of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s shadow, Isabella Whittaker is ready for September

Isabella Whittaker is no longer a rising star; she’s a real contender. In just four races this season, she’s proven she belongs among the world’s best. Her journey began indoors at the SEC Championships, where she clocked a lightning-fast 49.90, becoming the 7th fastest woman ever indoors. But she didn’t stop there. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, she lit up the track with a stunning 49.24s, breaking the American, collegiate, and North American indoor records, a moment that made the track world stop and take notice as she broke Sydney McLaughlin’s record. She then shifted outdoors, running 50.38s in Miami’s Grand Slam meet for 4th place, along with 22.76s in the 200m—solid, but just a taste of what was coming.

Then came Oslo and the breakthrough everyone was waiting for. At the Wanda Diamond League in Bislett, Whittaker exploded to a personal best of 49.58s, taking down Norway’s national record holder Henriette Jaeger (49.62s). But with the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo fast approaching this September, one question hangs heavy: can Whittaker’s 49.58 be enough to take on the giants of the event?

Because of the competition? It’s elite. Leading the pack is Marileidy Paulino, the reigning Olympic champ with a dropping 48.17s season best—easily the fastest woman in the world this year. Behind her are dangerous names like Alexis Holmes (50.12s outdoors, 50.51s indoors), Amber Anning (World Indoor gold in 50.60s), Lieke Klaver, and of course, Jaeger, who’s already proven she’s right there with Whittaker. Add in Miranda Coetzee (PB ~50.66s) and Ella Onojuvwevwo (PB ~50.57s), and the Tokyo field is absolutely stacked. But with the fastest indoor time of the season and a powerful 49.58 under her belt outdoors, Whittaker’s not just showing up—she’s coming for the podium. And if she continues this trajectory, don’t be surprised if she’s challenging for gold.