Looks like the crown might be slipping, or at least that’s what it looked like before Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone walked into Miami and reminded the world who still runs this game. Sha’Carri Richardson? Masai Russell? Both have been making headlines lately. But now, Sydney’s back in the picture and she’s making it loud and clear: she’s not just here to defend her throne, she’s here to upgrade it.

At the Miami Grand Slam Track meet, Sydney didn’t just race, she dropped a warning. She opened her season with the 400m hurdles, her go-to event, and even with a few stumbles over the barriers, still clocked a world-leading 52.07. Not enough? The next day, she came back for the flat 400m and casually threw down a 49.69. Two events, two golds, another $100,000 in prize money. And she made it look like a tune-up session. But here’s where things get interesting. Sydney’s not satisfied.

“As of right now, I think we might go to the short hurdles,” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone told Sanya Richards-Ross after her races. “Switch it up, yeah, test myself, work on some hurdle technique, work on some sprint speed.” Yep, she’s talking about diving headfirst into the 100m hurdles and 100m. Why? Because she’s got one number on her mind: sub-50. That elusive mark is her next mountain, and sharpening her raw sprint speed could be the key to breaking her own 400m hurdles world record. With a 400m/400 mH double on deck before the World Championships in Tokyo, Sydney’s dialing in on shorter sprints to build the power and precision she needs to make history.

Now this is wild because if you know Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s backstory, the short sprints were always her biggest struggle. In her book Far Beyond Gold, she peeled back the curtain on that rough stretch leading into the Tokyo Olympics. “Thanks to COVID, 2021 was now an Olympic year,” she wrote. “I didn’t just have spiritual issues to work through; I had to solve my hurdles problem—and fast.” There was that 100m hurdles race in New Jersey where she came dead last. Brutal. But her coach Bobby Kersee wasn’t about to let her back down.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone pushed her into the short hurdles—higher barriers, tighter timing, no margin for hesitation. And Sydney? She hated it. Every race was a mental battle. Until one day in LA, after yet another disappointing run, Bobby snapped. “Attack the hurdles,” he told her. “Stop overthinking it, and just go out there and get the job done.” Something clicked. “From the moment the gun went off until the finish line, I ran without fear,” Sydney said. “I realized that every time I stepped on the track, the only person holding me back was me.”

And that was the turning point. Bobby moved her back to the 400m hurdles and sent her to train in Arizona with Allyson Felix. That’s when she started doing something no woman had ever done—clearing every hurdle in 14 steps. “You’re going to win in Eugene,” Bobby told her. “And you’re going to bring me a world record.” She did both. And then she did it again. But now? She’s chasing a new frontier. She’s not just talking about running fast—she’s talking about breaking through fear, again.

Now she’s headed to Philadelphia for the next Grand Slam Track stop on May 30 through June 1. The short hurdles are officially in play. That means she’ll be toeing the line against rising stars like Olympic champ Masai Russell and 100m ace Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who’s fresh off a big win in Miami. It’s no easy path. But can Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone make it?

Can Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shatter records in the 100m and 100m hurdles?

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a track and field sensation, best known for her achievements in the 400-meter hurdles. She set the world record of 50.37 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but there’s another question on the table: Could she break records in the 100-meter and 100-meter hurdles? Let’s dive into her records in both of those events and explore whether breaking those marks is within her reach.

In the 100-meter dash, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s personal best is an impressive 11.07 seconds, set during her collegiate career in 2018. While this is a fast time, it’s a bit off from the world record, which is currently 10.49 seconds. As for the 100-meter hurdles, her personal best is 12.65 seconds, which she set at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. The world record in this event is 12.12 seconds, held by Tobi Amusan. McLaughlin-Levrone’s best in this event is about half a second off the world record, a notable margin in a race as competitive as the 100-meter hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone possesses remarkable natural abilities in track, but the 100-meter hurdles require different approaches from her renowned 400-meter hurdles competition. As she shows excellent hurdling skillset, she needs major changes in training while also adjusting her technique and race execution for the 100-meter hurdles. The personal best records combined with her outstanding career stage prepare Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for committing more fully to 400-meter hurdles instead of pursuing the 100-meter hurdles. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone possesses enough talent to try new events like the 100-meter and 100-meter hurdles, but she will mostly excel in breaking records during 400-meter hurdle events in her athletic future.