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Breaking: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Leaves Track and Field World in Shambles After Announcing World Championship Withdrawal Over Knee Issue

Published 08/12/2023, 1:29 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently announced that she will not participate in this year’s world championships. The reigning Olympic and world champion said she is forfeiting due to a minor knee issue. This comes as a massive setback as track and field fans were ready to see their favorite hurdler in action once again.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared the news of her withdrawal with her fans on social media. The fastest woman on Earth expressed her sadness while breaking the news to the world. This has left a bad taste in the mouths of everyone who wished to see Levrone break past the 50-second barrier.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to sit out for Budapest

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Hungary has been making a lot of preparations to host its maiden World Athletics Championship. However, no amount of preparations would be able to make up for the absence of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. She invested a significant part of the 2023 season into flat races, and the world was delighted to see the hurdler win even in flat races. Levrone shared the news of her withdrawal via an Instagram story“I am sad to share that I must withdraw from this year’s World Championships meet in Budapest,” said the reigning Olympic gold medalist.

via Getty

The defending world champion said she decided to stay put after consulting her coaches and doctors. “After consulting with my doctors and coaches, I need to take care of a minor knee issue so that I can be fully healthy for next year’s Paris Olympics,” said the star hurdler.

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While the news will be a downer for all Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone fans, they would also be happy that their favorite star prioritized her health. Every athlete knows that all roads currently lead to Paris, and they would not want to miss out on the Olympics. This news also means that the world will have to wait before they see a showdown between Levrone and Femke Bol.

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The duel between the fastest women on Earth

The world was looking forward to seeing Levrone in Budapest. However, the eyes of all track and field enthusiasts were also fixed on the upcoming Diamond League in Brussels. Femke Bol, the second-most fastest woman on Earth, is on an undisputed winning streak of 18 events. The Dutch hurdler even broke several previous records by finishing the women’s 400-meter hurdles in just 51.45 seconds.

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The time posted by Femke Bol is still short of the world record set by Levrone. However, one should also note that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her last Diamond League contest back in 2019. But, now that Levrone will stay out of the World Championships scheduled for 19th August, she may also forfeit from the meet in Brussels. The highly-anticipated showdown may now probably happen on the grand stage of Paris.

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Written by:

Ankit Singh

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Ankit Singh is a pro writer for US Sports at Essentially Sports. This surfing enthusiast has kept his watchful eye on all things Kelly Slater. With his prior experience as a senior writer for popular blogs in the country, Ankit brings his attention to detail to the nuances of every turn, snap, 360, and alley-oop on the surfboard.
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Edited by:

Brandon Gabriel