“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” NBA legend Michael Jordan did not only say the words but also made it a reality. Being a dominant force in the NBA for such a long time wouldn’t have come without such iron-clad mental strength. And it seems after his retirement, Jordan’s champion’s mentality has been passed on to several modern-day greats. One of them undoubtedly is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Her gold rush in Tokyo and Paris has propelled her to the summits of the track and field hierarchy. 

Quite interestingly, McLaughlin-Levrone’s category is the 400m ‘hurdles’. Despite boasting a personal best of 48.74s in the 400m flat, the 25-year-old is more interested in leaping over the hurdles. A typical champion’s mentality. Displaying her sublime elegance in the tracks of the French capital, the 400mH queen has earned quite a lot of praise. But the most recent accolade from her alma mater saw McLaughlin-Levrone getting compared with none other than Michael Jordan. 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone gets a Michael Jordan praise post Hall of Fame induction 

Before taking the track world by storm, McLaughlin-Levrone was a Wildcat. Signing a National Letter of Intent, the 4x Olympic gold medalist got enlisted into the University of Kentucky in 2016. While the track queen always had the spark within her, she peaked in 2018. During the season, McLaughlin-Levrone left her competition to dust. Winning both the NCAA and the SEC titles, McLaughlin-Levrone looked unstoppable. And it was from that moment that the now-25-year-old made it a habit of breaking world records for fun. She clocked 50.36s to establish a new world junior 400m record. McLaughlin-Levrone also clinched the collegiate 400mH record by running a time of 52.75s. 

As Wildcat’s best freshman moved on to conquer the world, Kentucky did not forget her. Back in September, McLaughlin-Levrone got inducted into the Kentucky Hall of Fame. Cherishing the moment, McLaughlin-Levrone got some big praises ushered upon her. In an interview with ESPN’s Peter Burns, the Olympian conveyed that the Athletics Director of the Kentucky Wildcats, Mitch Barnhart, has termed McLaughlin-Levrone the “Michael Jordan of our sport.”

Well, that is a comparison that is bound to make an athlete fly on cloud nine. Reacting to the news, McLaughlin-Levrone looked visibly elated. Conveying her thankfulness, McLaughlin-Levrone stated, “I was only here for a year, but it was such a memorable one. And UK has always welcomed me home as family. I’m really grateful for that honor.” The 400mH queen also vowed to continue making her alma mater proud. A statement that will bring the wrinkles back to the foreheads of her rivals. Interestingly, this is not the only time Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s name has been associated with Michael Jordan. 

McLaughlin-Levrone featured in a Michael Jordan Gatorade advertisement 

Back in May 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was featured in a Gatorade ad campaign. The campaign was titled ‘Is it in You?’ It aimed at encouraging the athletes to overcome the hurdles of life and continue to follow their passion in sports.

While McLaughlin-Levrone was one of the faces of the campaign, the entire video was voiced by none other than Michael Jordan. His narration looked to invoke the budding athletes to push through the pain and frustration in order to attain ultimate glory. And who better than Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone knows about pushing the pain?

McLaughlin-Levrone has remained injured for a substantial amount of time. However, despite losing hope, the 400mH queen learned to continue doing her job with 100% commitment in order to attain glory. The ad also featured Caitlin Clark, Jason Tatum, Josh Allen, A’ja Wilson, and DJ Lagway.