The American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Olympic champion in the 400m hurdles in Tokyo, posted the second best world performance of the year in the 200m (22 sec 07) on Saturday at the LA Grand Prix. An impressive success for the 24-year-old athlete, who also beat his personal best over the distance.
She won with a 25/100 lead over her compatriot Abby Steiner. Gabby Thomas, bronze medalist in Tokyo in 2021 and 2023 world vice-champion, finished sixth in 22 sec 68.
Already victorious on the track at Occidental College in Los Angeles two weeks ago, McLaughlin-Levrone this time met further west of the Californian city on the track at UCLA University, under the gray . She got off to the worst start with a reaction time far from her standards (0.548 seconds). But in a flash, the champion crushed the competition, taking a significant lead at a distance where she has never lined up in a major international competition. She could be one of the attractions of the Paris Olympic Games this summer, and in several disciplines.