Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has done it again, making history by breaking a long-standing American record in the women’s 400 meters. On September 16, 2025, during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the four-time Olympic champion sped through the semifinal race in 48.29 seconds, smashing the old record of 48.70 seconds that Sanya Richards-Ross set exactly 19 years earlier. Showing off her incredible fitness, McLaughlin-Levrone took it easy before crossing the finish line, winning her heat by over a second and hinting at her readiness for an amazing performance in the final.

After the race, she shared that she felt “honored” by the achievement, saying, “Definitely wasn’t expecting that time, but it just shows the fitness is there. Excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman.” This incredible run was just a warm-up for her big performance. Just two days later, McLaughlin-Levrone was back on the track and totally crushed it, winning the 400m world title with an incredible time of 47.78 seconds.

This time not only earned her a gold medal but also made her the second-fastest woman ever in the event, just behind Marita Koch’s world record of 47.60 seconds from 1985. Now that these huge accomplishments are in the bag, it’s only natural to wonder what’s next for the 26-year-old superstar. In an interview with People, McLaughlin-Levrone shared her thoughts, saying, “At the moment, I think just kind of enjoying this one. I think there’s always something you could improve upon, whether that’s going back to the 400 hurdles to try to break 50 or trying again for this world record, or whatever it is, there’s always something we could focus on.”

This statement points out the two exciting paths she has in front of her: she can either go back to her signature event, the 400m hurdles, where she holds the world record at 50.37 seconds and might try to break that incredible 50-second mark, or she can keep pushing to conquer the challenging flat 400m world record. Surely, the decision will involve careful discussion with her coach, Bobby Kersee.

But previously, when she was asked earlier about trying both events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, she just smiled and said, “We’re going to have to talk about the schedule on that one. I’m going to need some days off in there if that was the case because it’s tough fields in both events. You have to respect them. So, in order to put the best performances together, you have to make sure your body’s ready to do that.” However, recently McLaughlin-Levrone also opened up about her retirement plans.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s thoughts on a future without track

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is really making waves on the track, but she’s got some solid plans for what’s next in her journey. So, just so you know, she has said that she doesn’t plan on competing into her late thirties. Her bucket list for after retirement is packed with all the things that her profession doesn’t allow her to do right now. She mentioned, “I want to go skiing or snowboarding. That’s like the number 1 thing.”

She and her husband, former NFL player Andre Levrone Jr., have promised themselves an adventure for “as soon as I’m done.” She even chuckled about wanting to “run routes” on the football field to see if she’d be any good, a fun thought that’s currently off-limits because of the risk of injury.

These dreams really show the sacrifices that elite athletes go through, where even just having a little fun can come with some serious consequences. As time goes on, an athlete like McLaughlin-Levrone continues to impress the track world with her amazing performances. With this season wrapping up, fans are super excited to see what else she can accomplish in her career.