Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the Stade de France finish line on August 8 with her sister-in-law proudly holding a tiara, fitting for the queen of the 400-meter hurdles. Just a day after turning 25, she not only successfully defended her Olympic crown but also shattered the world record for the sixth time, crossing the finish line in a blistering 50.37 seconds. This put her in elite company alongside Michael Johnson as she opened up on what it takes to be successful at this level.

Even after returning from the knee injury, issues persisted, with McLaughlin-Levrone unable to compete in her main event of 400m hurdles. This raised doubts about how she will do in Paris. But after a performance that saw her break the world record and leave her rival Femke Bol far behind, Levrone talked about her method which has taken her to the top.

In an interview with 11Alive, three-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was asked about her strategy, seeing how often she has registered the world’s best time. “Execution,” was her reply before adding, “I think we prepare all year for this. My coach gets me ready for these moments, and we practice all the scenarios.”

She further added, “So it’s really just executing. It may look easy, but I promise you it hurts, and it’s a lot of focus and hard work.” The hurt might have been there for Levrone given how the pesky knee injury, that kept her out of the 2023 World Championships, troubled Levrone for the best part of the last three years.

After her stunning Tokyo win, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was notably low-key, showing up for just one World Athletics Championship in 2022 and a single Diamond League event in 2023. The issues with her knee meant she didn’t compete in the 400m hurdles for nearly two years, staying away from competition until her return to individual competition at the Oxy Invitational on May 5, having competed at the Mt. SAC Relays in California as part of the women’s 4×100 quartet, two weeks earlier.

At the Oxy Invitational, she won the 200mH and registered 10.71s in the 100mH. Yet, her absence from the 400m hurdles led many to question her fitness and whether she will be able to compete in the event in Paris. The LA Grand Prix once again saw her withdraw from the 400mH while competing in the 200mH.

Finally, on 31 May she made her much-awaited return to the 400m hurdles at the Edwin Moses Legends Meet in Atlanta. In her comeback to the discipline, McLaughlin-Levrone sent an ominous warning by comfortably winning the race in 52.70s. But there was more to come as she broke the world record during the US Olympic trials in June, when she won the race in 50.65 seconds, breaking her previous world record by 0.03 seconds, set at the 2022 world championships.

But between her journey from her knee injury and reaching the top of the Olympic podium, McLaughlin-Levrone had to face a lot of backlash for not competing in the 400m category with many last-minute withdrawals angering the fans. After the events of the Oxy Invitational and the LA Grand Prix, skepticism emerged around her credentials. A prime example of this was when she announced her post-Paris Olympics in partnership with legend Michael Johnson, only to face a wave of criticism from fans.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s team up with Michael Johnson led to criticism

With her gold medal in Paris to follow on from her Tokyo success, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone became the first American to retain an Olympic title in an individual track race since Michael Johnson’s golds in 1996 and 2000 in 400m. It was only poetic after  Johnson announced her as part of his new Grand Slam Track Contest in June.

McLaughlin-Levrone became the first racer for the global multi-event league and was also named its brand ambassador. As the first athlete signed by the Grand Slam Track, she will be a key player in the GST, competing in four Slams each year. She’s set to receive a solid annual base pay plus a tempting $100,000 for each Slam win. Sydney was excited about the contest, saying, “It’s very professionally put together and I really feel like it’s going to elevate the platforms of the athletes that compete more than once every four years at the Olympics.”

Despite her enthusiasm, fans weren’t entirely sold. With her sporadic appearances in major competitions since Tokyo Olympics, fans pointed out that she tends to show up only before major championships, such as the 2023 Diamond League. “Does she know she might actually have to race?” one fan remarked, questioning her commitment to the Grand Slam Track.

Another fan mentioned, “Britton Wilson has run like one race the whole year. Sydney has raced one Diamond League in the last 5 years.” There was concern about whether she would stick with all four Slams given her history of skipping events and dealing with injuries.

Despite the negativity around her heading into Paris, McLaughlin-Levrone proved that she was made of sterner stuff. With an Olympic gold medal and a world record built on focus and hard work, she has silenced all those voices who doubted her. What are your thoughts on her clapback at the Paris Olympics, despite these doubts? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!