Why choosing to run the 400m flat at the US nationals fits perfectly with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s competitive character
The easy choice for McLaughlin-Levrone would have been to stick to the 400m hurdles for the US nationals.
After all, her legacy in the event is unparalleled.
However, the challenge of leaving her pet event to take on the 400m flat shows the competitive edge that drives her forward, no matter what challenge lies in front of her.
“I just want to be the best that I can be when I step on the track,” she told the Ready Set Go podcast. “And I truly feel like I’m a student of the sport, which is wanting to learn in every way, shape or form that I can.”
While two Olympic 400m hurdles titles, a world championships gold, the world record and a five-year unbeaten streak show the extent of her dominance while racing over the obstacles, McLaughlin-Levrone has the opportunity to create a different legacy in the 400m flat.
Her personal best of 48.74 seconds is a mere 0.04 seconds away from the US record, set by Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.
And, for an athlete who admits to wrestling with her desire to improve, even during her resting hours, that US record may not be enough to fulfil her ambitions in the single-lap event.
“When I hang up my spikes one day, I want to be content in knowing I gave everything I had to everything I did, and then I feel like I can walk away,” she told Johnson.
“So that’s the driver. So, how I performed a month ago is cool, but what about today, what about now, what about this next moment, what about this next event? There’s something that wakes me up in the middle of the night, and it’s like, ‘we gotta get to work’.”