In a bold and unexpected move that could reshape the landscape of track and field, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning queen of the 400m hurdles, has confirmed her decision to compete in the flat 400m at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. The Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the hurdles has opted to test herself in a new arena, opening up a golden opportunity for her longtime rival, Dalilah Muhammad, to reclaim the global spotlight in the hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone, who holds the 400m hurdles world record at 50.68 seconds, has hinted at this shift for months. Now, with her decision made official, the women’s hurdles scene is set for a reshuffling. But what led to this pivot from her signature event? Interestingly, it may lie in the deep mutual respect and fierce rivalry that shaped her journey, especially with Muhammad.

In her memoir, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, McLaughlin-Levrone doesn’t shy away from crediting Muhammad for pushing her limits. She writes, “Each day, I’d go to the UCLA track, and Joanna and I would train with a simple goal in mind: win the World Championships. That was all I thought about at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. But it wasn’t going to be easy to do. Dalilah wasn’t just the top-rated female in the 400-meter hurdles; she was arguably one of the greatest of all time.”

The stage was 2019, and the 400m hurdles world record-52.34 seconds by Yuliya Pechonkina, had stood untouched since 2003. “That’s an eternity on the track,” Sydney reflected. “When I began my professional career, that record seemed a little too far out of reach.”

Yet it was Muhammad, then in her sixth season as a pro, who broke it twice in 2019, while McLaughlin, still new to the senior ranks, chased greatness with raw grit. Their rivalry forged a historic era in women’s hurdling. So now, with Sydney stepping aside, does this signal a last hurrah for Muhammad in the event she once ruled? Or is this the revival of an old flame in her competitive fire?

Sydney vs. Dalilah: A rivalry that redefined the 400m hurdles

For years, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Dalilah Muhammad have been the marquee names in women’s 400m hurdles—two titans locked in a rivalry that has pushed the boundaries of the sport. It all began to shift in 2019, when Muhammad, then the reigning Olympic champion, stunned the track world by breaking the world record at the USATF Championships with a 52.20s. Sydney, then just 19, took silver.

That race wasn’t just a contest; it was a challenge thrown down. Sydney responded in kind. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Muhammad ran 52.16, breaking her own record, but Sydney clocked 52.23 right on her heels. The margin was razor-thin, the drama, electric. Could it get any better?

Enter Tokyo 2021. Sydney shattered expectations and the record, with a jaw-dropping 51.46s in the Olympic final, beating Muhammad, who still ran a blistering 51.58. Their rivalry had reached a new peak. But was it the end?

Not quite. At the 2022 World Championships, Sydney redefined history again, slashing her own mark to an unimaginable 50.68s. Dalilah was absent, dealing with injuries. With Sydney now moving toward flat 400m, the question looms: is the golden era of this rivalry over, or just evolving?