“She’s just an amazing talent; a generational talent, for sure.” said Dalilah Muhammad about her long-term rival Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The hurdler had just broken her own world record for the fifth time at the Olympic trials. She would break this record again in Paris with a time of 50.37 seconds. Thus, she has proven to be arguably the greatest ever in this sport. However, even athletes with her level of talent get nervous, it seems.

Following impressive victories at the Tokyo Olympics and the USATF Championships, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone felt her nerves mounting at the World Championships. However, the hurdler found motivation from a family member of Olympic legend Florence Griffith-Joyner. In her book, Sydney shared how her sister-in-law, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, encouraged her to overcome her fear and perform her best at the World Championships.

In her book Far from Gold, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about how nervously she was going to the 2022 IAAF Championships. Having recently won in Tokyo the year before, everyone expected she was going to pave the way to victory. On the other hand, she was pretty nervous that her two closest rivals, Femke Bol and Dalilah Muhammad, were going to take the win.

Her anxiety peaked two days before the race, as the anticipation made it difficult for Sydney to stay calm. However, she found motivation in Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who is also her coach’s wife. Although she hasn’t revealed exactly what Joyner-Kersee said, the words were enough to refocus her and prepare her for the competition.

Sydney’s coach, Bob Kersee, even called her up and made her feel that her victory was a given. “Bobby called and talked as if the race were already over and I’d accomplished my goals. All I had to do was go out on the track and do what we’d talked about over and over.”

Ultimately, she shone in the race, breaking the world record again with a time of 50.68 seconds to secure the gold medal. It appears Jackie Joyner-Kersee may have shared some wisdom passed down from Flo-Jo to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, helping her on her record-setting journey. Yet, none of Sydney’s victories came easily; she had to overcome significant challenges in Tokyo as well.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also discussed some of her problems before the Tokyo Olympics

Apparently, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone felt that her dream of the Tokyo Olympics was going to be over because of the COVID threat. The Olympic journey had already been quite harrowing for her after she had to endure depression after the competition got delayed for a year. But her problems only increased when she reached Tokyo.

This was because she was put to quarantine in the Olympic Village after one of her teammates was found to be diagnosed by the virus. After that, she had to live with the fear of getting contracted with the disease herself.“Each day, we endured multiple rounds of testing, knowing that if we got a positive, our Olympic dreams were over. I became hyperaware of my body. Am I showing any symptoms? Am I feeling tired, congested, or lightheaded?” she wrote.

Her mounting anxiety was becoming a significant issue. Fortunately, Sydney tested negative for COVID, ensuring it wouldn’t interfere with her training or add to her fears. Driven by her immense determination, she emerged victorious, equaling the world record for the second time with a finish of 51.46 seconds. This marked the beginning of Sydney’s legendary status in world records. While she has experienced pre-race nerves, they’ve never hindered her performance, as she consistently dominates her competitors whenever she steps on the track.