Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad beat previous women’s 400m hurdles world record to win gold and silver

© Charlie Riedel / AP Tokyo Olympics Athletics

U.S. track star Sydney McLaughlin broke her own world record to win gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics, with teammate Dalilah Muhammad coming in a close second and also breaking the previous record. McLaughlin set the previous record of 51.90 in June during Olympic Trials.

McLaughlin earned gold and a new world record with a 51.46 second finish while Muhammad won silver with a 51.58 second finish.

© Provided by CBS News Sydney McLaughlin, of United States after winning the gold medal in the final of the the women’s 400-meter hurdles ahead of Dalilah Muhammad, of United States, silver, and Femke Bol, of Netherlands, bronze, at the 2020 Summer Olympics. / Credit: Charlie Riedel / AP

Muhammad is no stranger to making and breaking records, having set the world record twice in 2019. She also won the world championship gold medal that year. Her path to the Tokyo Games was not an easy one however, as injuries and a bout with COVID-19 threatened her training.

This is McLaughlin’s first Olympic gold medal win. The 21-year-old was also the youngest athlete in Wednesday’s race and the youngest person ever to medal in the event. She and Muhammad made their Olympics debut in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Netherlands’ Femke Bol secured the bronze medal with a 52.03 second finish.