NO OUTCOME IS certain in this sport, but Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone comes as close as possible to being a sure thing. The defending champion came in undefeated over the long hurdles since the ’19 Worlds. In her last 5 major championships — both national and global — she had broken the World Record each time. Paris would be no different.
SML’s prime competitor appeared to be the Netherlands’ Femke Bol. The ’23 world champion — in the year of McLaughlin-Levrone’s sabbatical from the event — she had run a European Record 50.95 in the rarefied air of 998m-high La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The formchart also tabbed OT runner-up Anna Cockrell for the podium, with challenges expected from Jamaican veterans Rushell Clayton and Janieve Russell. Not to be discounted was USC’s NCAA champion, Jasmine Jones.
No surprises came in the heats, with wins going to Clayton (54.32), Jones (53.60), Bol (53.38, the fastest first round ever), Cockrell (53.91) and SML (53.60). The heat got turned up in the semis two days later. In the first, Clayton topped Jones, 53.00–53.83. South Africa’s Zeney Geldenhuys won the distinction of the fastest non-qualifier ever at 53.90.
SML won the second in 52.13; it was the fastest non-final ever. The third went to Bol (an easy-looking 52.57) over Cockrell (52.90).
For the final, McLaughlin-Levrone started in lane 5, able to gauge her challengers in 6 (Bol) and 7 (Cockrell). She bolted out fast at the gun, and forged a clear lead over Cockrell and Bol at the first hurdle. The Dutchwoman caught her on the backstretch, pulling nearly even for two hurdles before SML started slipping away. On the final turn, the WR holder turned it into a rout, coming off with a 5–6m lead.
On the stretch, her margin became simply astounding. McLaughlin-Levrone sprinted hard and hungry as fans watched the clock in anticipation. Stretching for every hundredth, she hit the line in 50.37, the sixth World Record of her career, chopping 0.28 off what she had run at the Trials.
Behind her, Bol struggled and Cockrell found another gear, passing her for silver at the final hurdle. The American would clock 51.87, a PR that makes her the No. 4 woman ever. Bol hit 52.15 for bronze, with Jones PRing at 52.29.
Said the winner, “The event is just getting faster and faster. So much depth, always keeps me on my toes, makes me want to figure out ways to improve, and get better in the race. I love to be able to improve upon myself.”
Speaking alongside the other medalists, she added, “I do think 49 is possible and I think the talent in front of you can do that. I don’t know when it’s possible, but I do think it’s out there, for sure.”
Cockrell, who was DQed from the ’21 final for a lane violation, said, “The biggest difference from 2021 to now is just commitment to the work, in all aspects of my life. Off the track, how do I become a better person, better equipped to handle the emotional highs and lows of competing.”
A disappointed Bol explained, “I maybe went a bit too crazy so I died a bit at the end. I’m not too happy about this, but it’s 400-meter hurdles — you will always die at some point.”
WOMEN’S 400H RESULTS
FINAL (August 08)
(temperature 79F/26C; humidity 40%)
1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (US) 50.37 WR, AR (old records 50.65 McLaughlin-Levrone ’24) (OR)
(touchdowns—5.91, 9.79, 13.81, 17.86, 22.02, 26.29, 30.72, 35.24, 39.89, 44.71);
2. Anna Cockrell (US) 51.87 PR (4, x W) (3, 9 A)
(6.10, 9.98, 13.94, 18.09, 22.40, 26.72, 31.28, 35.96, 40.84, 45.84);
3. Femke Bol (Neth) 52.15
(6.13, 10.00, 13.93, 17.99, 22.16, 26.48, 31.00, 35.74, 40.70, 45.90);
4. Jasmine Jones (US) 52.29 PR (4, x A)
(6.02, 9.99, 14.03, 18.17, 22.45, 26.86, 31.51, 36.21, 41.16, 46.31);
5. Rushell Clayton (Jam) 52.68;
6. Shiann Salmon (Jam) 53.29;
7. Savannah Sutherland (Can) 53.88;
8. Louise Maraval (Fra) 54.53.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 1, 4–8)
(lanes: 2. Salmon; 3. Sutherland; 4. Maraval; 5. McLaughlin-Levrone; 6. Bol; 7. Cockrell; 8. Clayton; 9. Jones)
(reaction times: 0.139 McLaughlin-Levrone, 0.142 Clayton, 0.157 Jones & Sutherland, 0.158 Cockrell, 0.165 Bol, 0.166 Maraval, 0.207 Salmon)
HEATS (August 04)
I–1. Clayton 54.32; 2. Fatoumata Diallo (Por) 54.75; 3. Amalie Hammild Iuel (Nor) 54.82; 4. Cathelijn Peeters (Neth) 54.84; 5. Naomi Van Den Broeck (Bel) 55.51; 6. Rebecca Sartori (Ita) 55.81; 7. Chayenne da Silva (Bra) 56.52.
II–1. Jones 53.60; 2. Rogail Joseph (SA) 54.56 PR; 3. Sutherland 54.80; 4. Paulien Couckuyt (Bel) 54.90; 5. Gianna Woodruff (Pan) 54.94; 6. Ayomide Folorunso (Ita) 55.03; 7. Shana Grebo (Fra) 56.70; 8. Carolina Krafzik (Ger) 58.49.
III–1. Bol 53.38 (fastest heat ever); 2. Salmon 53.95; 3. Zeney Geldenhuys (SA) 54.73; 4. Anna Ryzhykova (Ukr) 55.13; 5. Jessie Knight (GB) 55.39; 6. Jiadie Mo (Chn) 55.43; 7. Alanah Yukich (Aus) 55.46; 8. Linda Angounou (Cam) 55.69 NR.
IV–1. Cockrell 53.91; 2. Lina Nielsen (GB) 54.65; 3. Janieve Russell (Jam) 54.67; 4. Hanne Claes (Bel) 54.80; 5. Nikoleta Jíchová (CzR) 55.45; 6. Grace Claxton (PR) 56.29; 7. Viivi Lehikoinen (Fin) 56.67; 8. Lauren Hoffman (Phi) 57.84.
V–1. McLaughlin-Levrone 53.60; 2. Noura Ennadi (Mor) 55.26; 3. Maraval 55.32; 4. Yasmin Giger (Swi) 55.44; 5. Alice Muraro (Ita) 55.62; 6. Sarah Carli (Aus) 55.92; 7. Line Kloster (Nor) 57.69; 8. Viktoriya Tkachuk (Ukr) 58.10.
REPECHAGE (August 05)
I–1. Folorunso 55.07; 2. Yukich 55.11 PR; 2. Van Den Broeck 55.11; 4. Claxton 55.94; 5. Kloster 56.73; 6. Lehikoinen 58.04; 7. Tkachuk 59.40.
II–1. Mo 54.75 PR; 2. Knight 55.10; 3. Woodruff 55.10; 4. Jíchová 55.31; 5. Sartori 55.44; 6. Krafzik 56.02; 7. da Silva 56.56.
III–1. Grebo 54.91; 2. Ryzhykova 54.95; 3. Angounou 55.09 NR; 4. Carli 55.12; 5. Giger 55.18; 6. Muraro 55.48; 7. Hoffman 58.28.
SEMIS (August 06)
I–1. Clayton 53.00; 2. Jones 53.83; 3. Geldenhuys 53.90 PR (fastest non-qualifier ever); 4. Grebo 54.84; 5. Hammild Iuel 54.88; 6. Van Den Broeck 54.94; 7. Peeters 55.20; 8. Nielsen 1:31.22.
II–1. McLaughlin-Levrone 52.13 (fastest prelim ever); 2. Maraval 53.83; 3. Joseph 54.12 PR; 4. Russell 54.65; 5. Folorunso 54.92; 6. Diallo 54.93; 7. Ryzhykova 55.65; 8. Claes 55.96.
III–1. Bol 52.57; 2. Cockrell 52.90; 3. Salmon 53.13 PR; 4. Sutherland 53.80; 5. Couckuyt 54.64; 6. Knight 54.90; 7. Yukich 55.49; 8. Ennadi 55.50; 9. Mo 55.63.
