“I think Sydney’s love is the 400m hurdles, and so that’s the number one event,” Bobby Kersee remarked, perfectly summing up his star athlete’s preference. And Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone didn’t just agree—she stamped it in gold at the Paris Olympics, choosing to compete only in her beloved 400m hurdles and relinquishing her 200m sprint event. And boy, did she deliver! The 25-year-old didn’t just defend her Olympic title; she shaved off 0.28 seconds from her previous best, setting an eye-popping new world record for the sixth time! So, the big question is: What’s next for Sydney?

Well, it won’t be the Lausanne Diamond League because she’s nowhere on that roster. So, where is she? The latest update has her far from the track, adding another chapter to the ongoing saga of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s habit of going MIA after big performances!

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone prefers something more than breaking records 

A post on X by Track Spice reveals Sydney is soaking up the warm vibes in Greece with her husband, Andre Levrone. The 4x Olympic gold medalist was glowing in a stunning white off-shoulder halter dress, while Andre, the former NFL star, kept it sleek in a black shirt and white pants combo. They didn’t get much of a chance to celebrate Sydney’s 25th birthday before the 400m hurdles finals in Paris, so they’re making up for it now with a dreamy holiday. Sydney even shared their sun-soaked moments on Instagram, captioning the post, “8 days late but who’s counting…25.”

This update comes hot on the heels of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s name missing from the Lausanne DL’s list, sparking fan outrage over her tendency to skip big contests. Since the Tokyo Olympics, she’s only shown up for one Diamond League 400-meter hurdles event, thanks to a mix of injuries and undisclosed reasons. But now, it looks like her latest getaway to Greece with her husband, Andre Levrone, might be the reason for her absence, especially with the Lausanne DL scheduled for August 22. But her absence from the contest would make her fans deprived again of a mouthwatering battle, especially with the Dutch phenom Femke Bol!

After Paris, the Lausanne Diamond League was shaping up to be a thrilling rematch between Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol. Since their last clash at the 2022 World Championships, they’ve only faced off once—at the Paris Olympics, where Sydney triumphed and Femke took third. With Sydney skipping Lausanne, Femke misses her chance for a rematch. Meanwhile, the Dutch sprinting phenom will be at Lausanne DL with another big name, Rushell Clayton. Yet, it might fall short of generating the same level of excitement from the fandom that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s presence would have brought!

Fans have plenty of reasons to miss seeing the history-maker on the track!

After the 2022 World Athletics Championships and the 2023 Paris Diamond League, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone went low-key because of her knee injury. Coming into this season, she presented herself in a fresh wrap, as in the Oxy Invitational and LA Grand Prix, she took on 200-meter heavyweights such as Gabby Thomas and came out victorious. Despite having a break of one and a half years from the 400m hurdle event, Sydney showed no rust when she entered the HBCU Pro Classic this year to compete in her trademark event.

In her first attempt at the event this season, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone put in world-leading timing (52.70 seconds) and earned some good words from the legend, Edwin Moses himself. But that was not all. 30 days later, she came out as the new world record holder (50.65 seconds), breaking her previous timing. It was her double shot, as with establishing the record, she claimed the victory, confirming her berth at the Paris Olympics. At the French metropolis, Sydney went a few steps extra. 

In the semifinal event, she registered the fastest-ever timing (52.13 seconds), while at the final, she demolished everything, setting up her new (sixth actually!) world record (50.37 seconds). That showed her preparation level for the event. Furthermore, snagging another gold as part of the women’s 4×400 relay raised the hype to watch Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for the rest of the season.

But her backing out of the Lausanne Diamond League has added a sad tune to that prospect. Yet in the meantime, her coach’s words could shed light, as once he said, “A cake is a cake but there’s a different flavor in each cake. It’s finding the formula for the right flavor in order to give that athlete the right taste they desire.” So does this indicate that the athlete is waiting for a bigger chance? Remember, Sydney has already registered for the Grand Slam Track, scheduled for next April!