Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Shatters 400m Barrier, Claims World Gold with Historic Run
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won world championship gold in the 400 meters, running 47.78 seconds, the second-fastest time in history and breaking a 19-year-old American record.
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Overview
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone secured world championship gold in the 400 meters, running an astonishing 47.78 seconds, breaking the 48-second barrier with a historic performance.
- Her gold medal-winning time is the second fastest in history, only behind Marita Koch's world record, and the fastest recorded in nearly 40 years.
- This remarkable achievement at the World Championships saw McLaughlin-Levrone also break a 19-year-old American record in the 400m semifinal with a time of 48.29 seconds.
- McLaughlin-Levrone's dominant performance solidified her place in track and field history, showcasing her exceptional talent and setting new benchmarks for the event.
- In the same final, Marileidy Paulino also delivered a strong performance, finishing in 47.98 seconds and establishing a new national record for her country.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the extraordinary and historic nature of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's 400m performance. They use highly evaluative language to portray her as a record-breaking phenomenon, contrasting her achievement with past doping scandals and positioning her as the central figure in track and field's evolving landscape.
"McLaughlin-Levrone made history by winning gold in the women’s 400 with a championship record time of 47.78 at the 2025 World Track and Field Championships in Tokyo, Japan."
USA TODAY"This time, something different – a bona fide showdown for the gold medal that knocked down a once-unthinkable barrier in racing."
Associated PressArticles (3)
FAQ
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is an American hurdler and sprinter who holds the world record for the 400 meters hurdles and the American record for the 400 meters flat. She won gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2022 and 2025 World Athletics Championships, and set multiple world records, including breaking the 400m hurdles world record several times and a championship record in the flat 400m of 47.78 seconds at the 2025 World Championships, the second fastest time ever.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran the 400 meters in 47.78 seconds, breaking the 48-second barrier with a championship record and achieving the second fastest time in history for the event. This performance also broke a 19-year-old American record she had set in the semifinals with a time of 48.29 seconds.
Her time of 47.78 seconds is the second fastest in history, behind only Marita Koch's world record, and it is the fastest recorded in nearly 40 years, marking a historic performance in the sport.
Marileidy Paulino delivered a strong performance, finishing in 47.98 seconds and setting a new national record for her country in the same final.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has set multiple world records in the 400m hurdles over about a 13-month period, breaking barriers such as the 52-second and 51-second marks. She is the first track athlete to set a new world record in the same event four times and has begun to establish herself as one of the all-time greats by transitioning successfully into the 400m flat event.
History
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