Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals her philosophy on what truly separates the elites from legends

Track and field is a sport that highlights the difference between elites and legends, an honour Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been fortunate enough to experience both levels in her young career.

The American track star, who is already a legend of the sport at age 26, shared her philosophy on what truly separates the elite from true legends.

"I think everybody at an elite level is very talented and there are also people who work very, very hard," she said in an interview with The Telegraph.

"But I think the difference maker is the attention to detail... the most elite of elite athletes care about every single aspect of the picture and are always trying to figure out how to colour in the missing pieces."

McLaughlin-Levrone belongs in the rare list of generational talents that have graced the sport. She is the holder of nine Olympic and World Championship gold medals already, as well as the current and previous five world records in the 400m hurdles.

At the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, she broke ground by becoming the first woman this century to complete the 400m under 48 seconds, clocking an astonishing 47.78s - the fastest in four decades, thus sending a clear signal that the once "eternal" Marita Koch's 47.60s world record set in 1985 is now within reach.

Despite her impeccable resume that any athlete would wish for after retirement, McLaughlin-Levrone remains focused on the fundamentals.

"I’m not on social media before I compete. I’m just remembering why I loved running in the first place when I was six years old," she added. Nerves are still part of the process, but she knows how to manage them.

"There’s always a sense of nerves... If I’m too relaxed, I know something’s wrong. My coach knows if I’m swaying back and forth on the starting line that I’m ready to go."

With her versatility and talent to succeed at any event she chooses to, McLaughlin-Levrone has her eyes set on still breaking the 400m world record and delving into the 200m and long jump before retirement.