Sydney McLaughlin sets world record; Dalilah Muhammad wins silver in 400 hurdles

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TOKYO — For so long, the track and field community viewed Sydney McLaughlin as a prodigy. Her accomplishments were viewed primarily within the context of her age.

 That changed in June, when she broke a world record at the U.S. Olympic trials.

And it will change again now that she is an Olympic gold medalist.

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The 21-year-old McLaughlin won the women’s 400-meter hurdles in dominant fashion Wednesday, beating compatriot Dalilah Muhammad – the reigning world champion and Olympic gold medalist – to secure the title. The New Jersey native crossed the finish line in 51.46 seconds, crushing her own world record by .44 of a second.

© Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports Sydney McLaughlin in the women’s 400m hurdles round 1 during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Olympic Stadium on July 31, 2021.

Muhammad was second in 51.58. Femke Bol of the Netherlands won bronze in 52.03.

The gold medal comes five years after McLaughlin made her Olympic debut in Rio, at the age of 16. It was a remarkable feat for a rising junior in high school, even though she didn’t make the final. And when it was over, she went back for her senior year at Union Catholic High School, just trying to be a normal kid.

After a stint at the University of Kentucky, McLaughlin turned pro and found herself climbing the ranks, but often finishing second to Muhammad. They have long been not just the two fastest women in the 400-meter field, but also the two fastest in the history of the event.

Last summer, McLaughlin decided that it was time for a change. She started training with a new coach, Bobby Kersee, and alongside Allyson Felix, one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Olympic history. Kersee altered her approach and refined her technique. In earlier meets this year, for example, Felix competed in the 60-meter or 100-meter hurdles, simply to practice different hurdling techniques.

It paid off at the Olympic trials, with a world-record time of 51.90. And it paid off again Wednesday, in Olympic gold and a new world record. 

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sydney McLaughlin sets world record; Dalilah Muhammad wins silver in 400 hurdles