Justin Gatlin on why Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has ‘broken’ 400mH running following Femke Bol’s 52.45 Diamond League trophy-winning run in Brussels.
American sprint legend Justin Gatlin has shared his insights on why Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance in the 400-meter hurdles has made it challenging for other athletes, like Femke Bol, to receive the recognition they deserve despite remarkable performances.
Gatlin, speaking on his Ready Set Go podcast alongside fellow sprint icon Maurice Greene and content creator Tiara Williams of Real Talk with Tee, discussed how McLaughlin-Levrone has raised the bar to such a level that impressive times, which once stood out, now seem overshadowed.
Dutch hurdler Femke Bol recently wrapped up a stellar season, winning her fourth consecutive women’s 400m hurdles Diamond League crown in a time of 52.45 seconds.
Bol’s achievement came off the back of her Olympic bronze medal win in Paris, and she crossed the line ahead of USA’s Anna Cockrell, who clocked 53.71. Yet, despite these impressive performances, the shadow cast by McLaughlin-Levrone’s incredible times has loomed large.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s world record-breaking performances have continually reset the expectations within the event. At the Paris Olympic Games, the 25-year-old secured her second consecutive gold medal in the 400m hurdles, shattering the world record with an astonishing 50.37 seconds – marking the sixth time she has rewritten the record books.
Gatlin explained why this kind of dominance reshapes the entire field. “I just feel like Sydney broke the 400 meters hurdles,” Gatlin said on the podcast.
“I remember when 52 seconds was amazing. Take nothing away from that – it’s still an incredible feat. But now you’ve got more females running those times, and she’s dipped into 50 seconds. One person pushes the boundaries of their event, and then the whole field has to catch up to that.”
Gatlin compared McLaughlin-Levrone’s influence to that of Usain Bolt in the 100 meters. “When we see someone pushing into 50s and even considering 49s, suddenly a 53-second run, which would’ve once been jaw-dropping, seems merely ‘cool.’ Usain did the same thing in the 100 meters, where 9.9 seconds became just ‘okay.’”
What makes McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance even more extraordinary is her versatility across other events. She has showcased her speed in both the 200 meters and the flat 400 meters, where she recorded a blistering 47.71-second split in the 4x400m relay at the Olympics, the fourth-fastest ever recorded.
In addition, her 48.74-second personal best in the 400 meters places her as the second-fastest U.S. athlete over one lap, just behind Sanya Richards-Ross’s American record of 48.70 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone capped off her season with solid performances in the invitational 200m and 400m events at the Brussels Diamond League. Although she didn’t break her personal best of 22.07 in the 200 meters, she still took victory in 22.40, adding valuable experience as she looks ahead to another promising season.
While athletes like Femke Bol continue to perform at exceptional levels, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s unprecedented achievements have recalibrated the standards for excellence in the 400m hurdles.
