The most dominant athlete to ever represent the University of Kentucky continues to, well, dominate. Sydney McLaughlin-LeVrone was a one-and-done track sensation in Lexington and is now shattering records and earning medals every time she competes on the world stage. It only makes sense that she adds another gold to her long list of career accolades — this time at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
She already recorded the second-fastest time ever in the 400m flat with a 47.78-second finish to earn a championship record and gold medal on September 18. Trailing only Marita Koch’s (Germany) world record of 47.60 from 1985 — a controversial mark previously deemed unbreakable due to doping allegations — she’s the first person to win in both the 400m and 400m hurdles. And, yes, she plans on taking down Koch’s record sooner rather than later — legally.
“We’re getting closer and closer,” McLaughlin-LeVrone said. “It’s going to come eventually and it’s just about the right situation.”
Up next? Another gold medal on Sunday, this time in the 4x400m relay, anchoring the United States women en route to the 3:16.61 finish. And, as expected, it was pure domination once again by the former Wildcat and her group, beating out Jamaica by nearly three full seconds. McLaughlin-LeVrone ran a 47.82 during her split, the fastest among all participants.
“Tonight, we’re happy to walk away with a gold medal,” she said.
The United States earned gold with a 3:16.61 — the fifth-fastest time ever in the event — followed by Jamaica with 3:19.25 and the Netherlands with 3:19.25.
In a standout performance for the U.S., it was Kentucky’s own standing out most once again.
It’s nothing new for McLaughlin-Levrone, who stole the show at the 2024 Paris Olympics with gold medals in the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay. She was then inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame, proudly representing her former school every (very fast) step of the way. During her lone season in Lexington, she won the 2018 NCAA title in the 400m hurdles after setting the still-standing collegiate record of 52.75 seconds. In January 2025, she was named the 2024 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, just the third woman to ever win the award.
Up next: breaking the unbreakable 400m record.
And she won’t need to cheat to do it.
AloJapan.com