Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone started her Grand Slam Track campaign in Jamaica the way only she can. The venue was Kingston, the air was heavy with expectation, and what were the stakes? No heats, no second chances. Just one lap to get it right. On Day 1, she exploded in the 400m hurdles, stopping the clock at a then world-leading 52.76. No one came close. Then, without flinching, she switched lanes, literally and figuratively. Day 2, the 400m flat. No barriers this time, just her against the wind and the clock. She ruled it, crossing in 50.32, grinding through brutal conditions to clinch the overall long hurdles title. And guess what?

She lined up again in Miami — same event group, the long hurdles, the one some fans had called too comfortable for her. Well, she has responded in style! Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone did it again. Just when the whispers of being too comfortable began to circle her long hurdle dominance, she stepped onto the track in Miami and shut them down with authority.

In her signature event, the women’s 400m hurdles, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder made it look smooth, but don’t let that fool you. Andrenette Knight of Jamaica placed second by clocking 54.08, with Anna Hall, better known for the heptathlon, impressing for third in 54.48. But Sydney, she clocked a blistering 52.07 — a world lead — and made it look effortless. But was it? Not quite. “I say they never run the 400 hurdles,” she said right after crossing the line. “It may look like a cakewalk, but I feel it in my legs. I mean, that’s why I love to switch it up, challenge myself. I mean, the 400 hurdles is my baby. If you feel like that’s a cakewalk, I mean, I’ve done it for so many years, I hope it’s getting easier by now.”

Even after such stunning performances, Sydney often finds herself under criticism. She has found herself under a microscope since the build-up to the Paris Olympics last year, although that was entirely a different issue and was more to do with her limited appearances on the track. The reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles was questioned about her commitment to regular racing, especially after she was appointed the face of Michael Johnson’s newly launched Grand Slam Track league.

She didn’t race much after her standout races in September last year, where she clocked a 49.11 in the 400m and 22.40 in the 200m. Then in 2025, she appeared twice in Kingston, dominating both the 400m flat (50.32) and hurdles (52.76), and once now in Miami. In response to the criticism over her sparse schedule, she said during a media day of Grand Slam Track, “I love being able to put the sport on display….But you can’t run a world record every time. My body can’t do that. My mind can’t do that….Sure, I could run more races. But they may not be fast times. And then….people are going to be upset because they’re not fast times. So it’s a lose-lose, right?” Well, where is the lie?

But according to some chatter around, we may see Sydney doing another event soon!

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may compete in the Short Hurdles in the next Grand Slam Track

Franklin Field could be the site of a showdown between two of America’s best hurdlers when Grand Slam Track comes to town later this month. Masai Russell has just taken the track world by storm with her 12.17 American record, and whispers are growing that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone might join the party in the short hurdles at the Philadelphia Slam.

Track fans are already excited at the prospect of these two American stars going head-to-head. McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles world record holder and Olympic champion, has only run the 100m hurdles a handful of times with a personal best of 12.65 seconds from 2019. She’s focused on her specialty and has rarely competed in the shorter event. Russell is now the American record holder and just 0.05 seconds away from Tobi Amusan’s world mark.

The Philadelphia Slam, May 30-June 1 at historic Franklin Field, might just be the place for this dream matchup. Michael Johnson’s new league is looking for these kinds of rivalries to establish itself in the track world, and having McLaughlin-Levrone challenge the red-hot Russell would be exactly what the Grand Slam Track concept was built for.