Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shattered expectations Thursday night at the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first woman in nearly 40 years to run the 400 meters under 48 seconds. On a rain-slicked track in Tokyo, she crossed the finish line in 47.78 seconds, narrowly beating Marileidy Paulino, who also dipped under the 48-second barrier with 47.98 seconds.
The performances mark the second and third fastest 400m times in history, trailing only Marita Koch's 47.60 from 1985, a record long considered untouchable. McLaughlin-Levrone, who shifted from hurdles to the flat 400 in 2023, broke the American record in the semifinals with 48.29 seconds before delivering her record-breaking final.
"It wasn't my title to hold onto, it was mine to gain," McLaughlin-Levrone said, crediting her coach Bobby Kersee and a field of elite competitors for pushing her to the historic mark. Paulino, the reigning Olympic and world champion, also celebrated her milestone, saying, "I'm thankful for having the opportunity to break 48. I still feel like a winner."
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Third-place finisher Salwa Eid Nasar ran 48.19, a time that would have won the last two world championships, highlighting the unprecedented depth of this year's race. Britain's Amber Anning, fifth in 49.36, described the showdown as "amazing" and inspiring for the future of the 400m.
The race opens a new chapter for McLaughlin-Levrone, with questions now about whether she will continue pursuing the 400m or return to hurdles, where she remains the world record holder. Kersee suggested she may use lessons from the quarter-mile to aim for another historic mark back in the hurdles.
In other action, Australian 17-year-old Gout Gout impressed in the 200m, while Noah Lyles posted a season-best 19.51 in his semifinal, setting the stage for a high-stakes final. For now, the spotlight is on McLaughlin-Levrone's groundbreaking 400m, a race that may redefine women's sprinting for years to come.