New year, new achievements! This year started on a great note for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone! Well, she earned a new title: Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year. And she totally deserved it! After seeing her performance in the Paris Olympics, she secured the award. But what exactly did she do in Paris that made her secure this award?

She won gold in the 400-meter hurdles but also broke the world record twice. It’s like every time we blink, she’s shattered records. And this time, she did it with a 50.37-second run in Paris. Six times she’s done this! Six times she’s set a new record! Can anyone else even compete with that?

But it’s not just about the medals and records for McLaughlin-Levrone. After such a monumental summer, she returned home to Kentucky and got inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame, a place she made her mark back in 2018 by winning the NCAA Championship during her one season with the Wildcats. The way her journey has come full circle—returning to where it all began—is something special.

But what’s even more incredible is that by achieving Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, she didn’t just defeat the competition—she also managed to top her college coach, Nick Mingione, in the voting.

Mingione is an American college baseball coach and former outfielder who is the current head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats. He had led the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team to their first-ever College World Series appearance. In this ranking, Mingione came in second, but just how close was that race? Only 351 points behind her. The process of selecting Kentucky’s Sports Figure of the Year is no small task. Over 130 sports media members across the state cast their votes, and McLaughlin-Levrone pulled in a huge 1,004 points, including 40 first-place votes.

Right behind her were Mingione and basketball player Travis Perry, who was coming off an incredible 2023 season where he shattered a long-standing scoring record. It’s also worth noting that McLaughlin-Levrone is only the third woman ever to win this award. But at the same time, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 2024 also ended on a high note!

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s unstoppable rise

In December 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the 2024 Female Track Athlete of the Year and she truly stood above all others for this distinction. Since securing silver at the 2019 World Championships, the 25-year-old athlete has maintained a high level of success in the 400m hurdles. The award recognition went to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who defeated Julien Alfred for the win. But Julien?

During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Julien Alfred secured gold while winning the women’s 100 meters before securing silver in the 200 meters. But Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s dual gold wins, together with her record-setting achievements, stood as unmatched at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She has achieved an incredible high, becoming the first athlete to shatter four world records in the same event period in just 13 months.

McLaughlin-Levrone secured a fourth gold medal as an Olympic champion with the 4x400m relay while maintaining a perfect race record since 2019. Oh, and did I mention? Since 2019, McLaughlin-Levrone has maintained an unbroken winning streak in all 400m hurdles races she has competed in. McLaughlin-Levrone consistently achieved excellent results at the Paris Olympic Games, although she began her competition season exceptionally late. Why?

In 2023, McLaughlin-Levrone suffered a minor knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the World Athletics Championships before returning strong in 202024. At the USATF New York Grand Prix, she returned to competition to establish a world-leading time of 48.75 seconds. But this failed to beat her personal best. Everyone witnessed her ability beyond championship status as she proved she would remain a strong presence in track and field. And she did it!