“At the end of the day, I just focus on running my own race,” said Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone earlier this month when asked about her bold decision to shift from her trademark 400m hurdles to the flat 400m, and about her opponents. It was a daring move, and with powerhouses like Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser in the mix, the road ahead was anything but easy. And if that wasn’t enough pressure, she carried another burden, or perhaps a chance, on her shoulders: her sponsors. So far, New Balance athletes have yet to strike gold on the world stage. With Gabby Thomas sidelined by injury, all eyes and all expectations now rest on McLaughlin-Levrone.

Gabby Thomas, who is also a New Balance-sponsored athlete, was one of the frontrunners to win a medal at the World Championships. However, the reigning Olympic 200m gold medalist had to pull out after revealing she suffered an injury back in May. She still competed at the USATF Championships but finished third, a sign that it was time to give her body the rest it deserved rather than pushing through. In her statement, she added, “As an athlete, you always want to keep grinding, but sometimes you simply can’t outwork an injury.”

With New Balance athletes struggling to shine, Nike now dominates the leaderboard with six golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. Adidas follows with four golds, four silvers, and five bronzes, while Japanese powerhouse ASICS sits third with two golds, one silver, and one bronze.

ON secured two golds but no other medals, while Puma earned one gold, three silvers, and four bronzes. New Balance lags with just two silvers and a single bronze. Stars like Vernon Norwood and Grant Fisher fell short of expectations. Norwood clocked 46.28 seconds in the 400m, finishing 8th, while Fisher also placed 8th in his heat, failing to reach the final. This marks a sharp contrast to their performances in the last two World Championships.

At the 2022 World Championships, McLaughlin-Levrone claimed two golds, Jake Wightman added one, and Vernon Norwood secured another, contributing to Team Balance’s impressive haul of nine medals overall. The same story unfolded in 2023, but this season has been particularly disappointing for the New Balance team, with none of their athletes performing well. All hopes now rest on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who is taking on the 400m flat instead of her specialty, the 400m hurdles.

Despite looming responsibilities, the athlete says her focus has shifted beyond medals, with the world record now in her sights. In a conversation with the media, she revealed her ambition to shatter the long-standing mark set by East German legend Marita Koch (47.60s) in 1985. “It’s a pretty old record. Someone will definitely break it when the time comes. Everything is possible; there is no limit. Anyway, I will do my best to run a perfect race. I look forward to everyone coming to watch the race!”

At the USATF Championships, she powered past the field with a breathtaking 48.90s in the 400m, clinching her golden ticket to the Tokyo World Championships. She has been amazing on the hurdles, but will she be able to cement herself as a great contender at the flats as well? Justin Gatlin has come forward to give her advice on how to secure the win.

Justin Gatlin’s wise words for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for the Worlds

On the Ready Set Go YouTube podcast, Gatlin joined Rodney Green and Tidal League to dissect the women’s 400 meters at the World Championships, and as soon as the moment of discussion shifted to McLaughlin-Levrone, the former athlete wasted no time as he stated, “When you look at Sydney, Sydney looks strong. Sydney looked good. Like I said, when Sydney and Bobby are a combination, that goes to show you that they’re going to work on things, and by the time that finals come up, they’re going to try to be able to disrupt, especially in the 400 women.”

Gatlin believes that McLaughlin-Levrone and her coach, Bobby Kersee, can bring out something magical on the tracks of Tokyo. The flat 400m demands both mental toughness and strategic pacing, and Gatlin points out the reality of the situation, “She’s not the top dog, so she has to go out there and disrupt. She has to go out there and run toe-to-toe with Nassar or to make sure she kicks with a Paulino.”

He added, “She’s going to have to battle in that last 50 meters. And I think that’s where she’s working on gauging herself through the rounds to make sure she has enough energy to go out there and kick.” This is not only an expert opinion but also a roadmap for the athlete, now, we will wait and watch how McLaughlin-Levrone will perform in her new discipline.