Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Opens Up On 400m Flat Switch And Facing Rivals Salwa Eid Naser And Marileidy Paulino

Olympic 400m hurdles champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is stepping into new territory at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

After dominating her specialist event for years, the American star has chosen to contest the 400m flat, a move that has generated both excitement and intrigue in the track and field world.

The 26-year-old stunned fans earlier this year when she announced that she would bypass the hurdles, where she reigns supreme, to chase new challenges in the flat event.

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That decision paid off at the U.S. National Championships, where she stormed to the national title and booked her ticket to Tokyo. With the global competition just days away, McLaughlin-Levrone has shed light on the mindset behind this transition.

“I think it felt like the right thing to do, just because I want to be the best, well-rounded athlete I can be,” she said in an interview shared by Olympics.

“And this is one of those challenges that I think I had been putting off for myself.”

She admitted that the switch did not come without some hesitation.

“I wanted to step out in a different way, and so I think there was a bit of apprehension at first of do we really want to take that step, but I want to compete, and I want to compete well and against the best and push myself to be the best that I can be. So it definitely is uncomfortable, but it’s rewarding to carve new paths,” McLaughlin-Levrone added.

McLaughlin-Levrone has remained unbeaten in the 400m this season but the stage in Tokyo promises far stiffer competition.

Among her rivals will be Salwa Eid Naser, the 2019 World Champion, and Marileidy Paulino, who claimed gold in 2023. Both athletes boast sub-49 second performances and a wealth of championship experience that could test the American’s dominance.

Still, McLaughlin-Levrone’s rise in the flat 400m has been meteoric. Her personal best of 48.74 seconds, set earlier this season, puts her in elite company and within touching distance of the very best in history.

Currently, the 400m world record belongs to Marita Koch of East Germany, whose 47.60-second run from 1985 has stood for four decades.

Many believe McLaughlin-Levrone is the athlete most likely to threaten it. But the American remains realistic about the enormity of the task.

“It’s a long-standing record for sure and a very fast time,” she reflected during a World Athletics media call.

“I think, over the past few years, the performances that we have put on have created an appetite for records whenever I step on the track which, to a degree, I guess is fair. But, at the same time, those come when they come and, especially an event like the 400m, takes time.”

Fans have grown accustomed to McLaughlin-Levrone rewriting history every time she competes, but she insists her focus lies on progress rather than perfection.

“I just want to run as fast as I can and continue to improve my times over the 400m distance,” she said.

Whether she claims the world title or inches closer to an elusive record, her willingness to step into uncharted territory has already made her story one of the most compelling of these championships.