“I want to be the best well-rounded athlete I can be, and this is one of those challenges that I think I had been putting off for myself,” said the queen of hurdling, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, on her bold move to the 400m flats, despite owning the hurdles like no other. And what a decision it turned out to be. But here’s the real question: with her fierce rival Femke Bol shifting to the 800m next season, will Sydney follow suit? Not quite, she’s teasing new horizons instead, eyeing the high jump and even the 200m.

In a recent chat with journalists, Femke Bol revealed that she and her coach plan to take on the 800m next season. “It also gave me the confidence to dare to make this step. The 800m has always been an event I love to watch,” she said. For years, Bol and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone have been fierce rivals in the 400m hurdles, pushing each other to new heights. But with Bol now stepping up in distance and Sydney revealing her own thoughts about transitioning to the 800m, it seems their legendary rivalry might finally be reaching its end.

While speaking with The Telegraph, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was asked about a possible transition to the 800m. She clarified that she has no plans to compete at that distance; instead, she issued a friendly warning to fellow athletes Gabby Thomas and Tara Davis-Woodhall. “I don’t know that you’ll ever find me stepping on the line for an 800 – I might run one in my lifetime, I’d be curious to know what I would run – but I can’t even promise that. I’ve felt 400 hurdle pain. I’ve felt 400 pain. I don’t even know what 800 pain feels like,” said Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

She further added, “I do love long jump. As a kid, that was probably my favourite event. I don’t know what the learning curve would be at this point, but I also know that Bobby coached Jackie [Joyner-Kersee] to the American record. So I’m like, ‘If anyone could get me ready, it would probably be him. I do also love the 200. My dad used to say that he thought that was my event when I was a kid. I love just challenging myself, whatever arena I step into.”

You heard that right. The 400m world champion is on a mission to become the ultimate all-around athlete, capable of conquering multiple events. Already a dominant force in both the 400m hurdles and 400m flat, she boasts 4 Olympic gold medals and 5 World Championship medals, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest ever. Fun fact: since 2016, she has never finished below silver. Along with holding the current and previous five world records in the 400m hurdles, it was her near miss at the 400m flat world record that truly captured the world’s attention.

Well, you might wonder, has she ever competed in the 200m or long jump events? Surprisingly, she has! In fact, she’s even gone as far as defeating Gabby Thomas in her own game.

When Gabby Thomas got a taste of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s prominence

At the 2024 USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone made it clear to fans and fellow competitors alike: just because she rules the 400m hurdles doesn’t mean she can’t dominate other events. She turned heads with a breathtaking personal best, blazing through the 200m in 22.07 seconds (-0.3 wind). But she didn’t just win, she commanded the track, leaving Abby Steiner in her wake with 22.32 seconds, Brittany Brown close behind at 22.35 seconds, and Rhasidat Adeleke taking fourth in 22.45 seconds.

The rivalry adds an extra edge: the two had faced off just once before at last year’s NYC Grand Prix, where Sydney powered to victory in the 400m with a 49.51 finish, leaving Thomas close behind at 50.29. While Sydney has bested Thomas twice in her career, Thomas is now hitting the peak of her powers. That makes the challenge tougher for the 400m world champion—but far from impossible.

Interestingly, it must be noted that the athlete in her high school years, McLaughlin-Levrone, achieved a personal best of 6.29 meters (20 feet 7.75 inches) in the indoor long jump as well. It won’t be wrong to state that the athlete is an all-around one with such stacks for her. Regardless, would she be able to oust her competition? Time will tell.