Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has won the women’s 400m gold in the falling rain at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Thursday 18 September.
Having claimed two Olympic golds and a world title in the 400m hurdles, the 26-year-old has secured her first global title in the flat event, crossing the line in a time of 47.78 seconds, just outside the 40-year-old world record of Marita Koch (47.60).
While she may have missed out on that bit of history, her run did break the world championships record from 1983, and was the second-fastest time in history.
Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic won silver in 47.98, while Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain claimed bronze in 48.19.
McLaughlin-Levrone only confirmed she would compete in the 400m flat in the weeks leading up to these championships. However, having broken the U.S. record and set a world lead in the semi-finals, her gold medal this evening will go down as one of the most remarkable achievements in recent athletics history.
More to follow…