“I am immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to represent my country on the world’s biggest stage.” Sydney McLaughlin Levrone stepped onto the iconic purple tracks at Stade de France as the 400m hurdles defending champion. Poised as the favorite, she hoped to hold on to that title for 4 more years. And she did just that! With a blistering 50.37 seconds, the 25-year-old blazed past the finish line. In fact, she even shattered her own world record for the 6th time in a row.

The Olympian’s family cheered her on from the stands and even put on a dazzling crown after she ran towards them. But here’s the kicker! The hurdler did all of this a day after her birthday. With her stellar performance on the track, she also became the first woman who successfully defended her Olympic gold in the event. How exciting is that? McLaughlin-Levrone recently spoke about her experience in the French capital on the Today show!

However, the hosts soon brought up the Olympian’s mini vacation with her husband, Andre Levrone Jr., after the Summer Games commenced. One of the hosts mentioned how the 25-year-old’s images were all over her Instagram feed and asked her about it. “It was beyond beautiful, and we were sad to come home,” the hurdler confessed. Where did the duo go? They spent an entire week soaking up the warm sun in Greece.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone continued, “It was great to have just a moment to breathe after that and soak it all in. You know, my husband’s a seminary, so he had to get back to school, and then I was finishing up my season.” The Olympian even shared a few snippets from their vacation on her Instagram on August 18. She captioned it, “greece photo dump 🇬🇷✨🫶🏽💕✈️🍔☺️” Even though the Olympian gave herself the best gift in the French capital, they didn’t get the chance to celebrate her birthday while they were there. So, a mini vacation made perfect sense for them!

The host pointed out how comments aren’t always positive. But her fans couldn’t help but gush over their getaway. The 4x Olympic medalist agreed, “I mean, we just want to use our platforms the best way we can, and I’ve loved being that inspiration and role model. I want to continue doing that well. So, there’s a lot of love, and we appreciate it.” After she was back from Greece, the hurdler went on to draw the curtains on her season with 2 invitational races at the Brussels Diamond League. But she had another celebration waiting for her back home. 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone adds another feather to her cap

The hurdler’s Parisian stint was nothing short of a fairytale. She left the French capital with 2 Olympic golds in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. Seeing how the 25-year-old has continued to shatter the ceiling countless times, her alma mater wanted to honor incredible achievements. How did they do that? The Olympian was inducted into the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame on September 19. In fact, she even has a track named in her honor at the place she started her journey—Columbia Park at Dunellen. 

However, many witnessed a completely different side of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone during her induction. Usually known to keep a stoic demeanor, the Olympian made a fun reference to her one year in Kentucky: “I may not have a degree – sorry, Mom.” Why’s that? She claimed the SEC and NCAA titles during that season and even set a college record of 52.75 seconds. So, she just decided to turn pro right after. 

The Olympian even talked about how her coach, Edrick Floréal, helped her believe she could achieve whatever she put her mind to. “It was here, on this track, that I learned for the first time that 50 seconds was possible in the 400 hurdles.” She even had some of her college friends at the event who posted several stories congratulating her on Instagram. It seemed like the hurdler was at ease, beaming with joy throughout. 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ended her speech in the best possible way. “Go Cats!” And with this, the 25-year-old has officially ended her season with a bang. The Olympian had an incredible season this year, and the only way from here is up. But amidst all the chaos, it’s good to see her spend some much-needed quality time with her biggest cheerleader, Andre Levrone Jr.