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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has established herself as the greatest 400m hurdler of all time, but still often goes unrecognised in some places like Los Angeles.
Despite her remarkable legacy in track and field, American hurdling icon Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone admits that life in Los Angeles often affords her a surprising level of anonymity.
The Olympic and world champion, who has set the standard in the 400m hurdles since turning pro in 2019, reflects on how living in a city filled with high-profile NBA and NFL stars — not to mention Hollywood celebrities — leaves her largely unrecognized.
McLaughlin-Levrone, originally from New Jersey, now lives and trains in California with her husband, Andre Levrone, under the guidance of legendary coach Bob Kersee.
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Under Kersee's tutelage, she has rewritten the record books, securing gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics and the 2022 World Championships. Most recently, she set a groundbreaking world record of 50.37 seconds at the 2024 Olympics, breaking her previous record of 50.65 seconds and solidifying her status as one of the sport's all-time greats.
However, despite her historic accomplishments, McLaughlin-Levrone says she often goes unnoticed while out and about in Los Angeles, a city where celebrity sightings are routine. Speaking candidly about her experience, she shared that, unlike the instant recognition athletes like Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles receive, she enjoys a different kind of public life.
“In LA, you’ve got NBA, NFL, and many celebrities,” she explained. “Track and field, we are working our way up, but we haven’t arrived. There are certain people in our sport, like Sha'Carri, who get noticed everywhere, but not me.”
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20:42 - 29.10.2024
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While McLaughlin-Levrone enjoys the privacy of a low-profile lifestyle, she also feels that the lack of recognition for track and field is telling.
The sport, she says, is still working to earn a place in mainstream culture and gain the same level of public attention as more prominent sports. McLaughlin-Levrone finds herself in a unique position — balancing a love for privacy with a desire to elevate track and field’s visibility.
“I can go to Target and get one person who is familiar with me who would say, ‘You look familiar,’ and I’d be like, ‘Nah!’ and then she would be like, ‘Okay,’” she shared, adding, “I love living a private life, but I also love to represent our sport. So if that means getting a little noticed, then great.”
For McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke new ground by setting four world records in the 400m hurdles over just 13 months, her legacy is already established in the annals of track and field history.
But even as she continues to soar on the track, she remains focused on achieving something just as ambitious: helping her sport break into the mainstream and inspiring a new generation to recognize and appreciate the power and thrill of track and field.
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