Sydney McLaughlin makes world record in 400-meter hurdles

Sydney McLaughlin makes world record in 400m hurdles Olympics Tokyo 2020.

For a long time, the athletic community viewed Sydney McLaughlin as a prodigy. That changed in June when he broke a world record in the United States Olympic trials.

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

On Wednesday, McLaughlin, 21, won the women’s 400m hurdles dominantly, beating compatriot Dalilah Muhammad, the reigning world champion and Olympic gold medalist, to secure the title.

400m hurdles Olympics Tokyo 2020

The New Jersey native crossed the finish line in 51.46 seconds, crushing her world record by .44 of a second.

Muhammad was second in 51.58, also eclipsing the previous record. Femke Bol from the Netherlands won bronze in 52.03.

“She hasn’t figured it out yet,” McLaughlin said when asked about winning the gold. “Maybe once eat something and take a nap.”

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