For sure, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has totally made a name for herself as one of the best in track and field, but it wasn’t always like that. Remember back in 2016? That was her first Olympic debut, and let’s just say it didn’t go as planned. Fast forward to the 2021 Olympics, and Sydney snatched up two gold medals like it was no big deal.

But as the heat in Tokyo got closer, she started feeling those familiar jitters. After some tough losses to her rival Dalilah Muhammad, the pressure was on Sydney to flip the script and come out on top, all while dealing with a bunch of distractions. But here’s the cool part: Sydney opened up about how her coach, Bobby Kersee, was a total game-changer for her.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals her coach’s antics

In her book Far Beyond Gold, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared a behind-the-scenes look at how her coach, Bobby Kersee, helped her stay focused during the hectic moments of the 2021 Olympics. As she geared up for her first heat, a malfunction led to multiple false starts, putting her on edge. With so much at stake, Sydney knew she had to stay locked in and not let distractions throw her off track.

Leading up to the race, Bobby’s training methods left Sydney scratching her head. He would call her to the blocks and then throw out what she called his “pointless commands.” She recalled him saying things like, “Stand up. Wait a minute. Go run a lap. Jog to the first turn, then come back.” At the time, she thought, “What is he doing? He sounds spastic.” Bobby “never explained” his reasoning, leaving her puzzled about how these quirky exercises would help her when it mattered most.

When race day rolled around, those “pointless commands” turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With the false starts trying to throw her off her game, Sydney found herself prepared to handle the chaos. “Thanks to Bobby, I was able to stay focused and win my quarterfinal heat.” Those odd drills ultimately gave her the mental edge she needed to transform distractions into a path to victory. So how has Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach contributed to her success?

How Bobby Kersee fine-tuned Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone into the hurdling phenom

It’s pretty wild to think that

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was only 16 when she first stepped onto the Olympic stage. But then things got a little tough for her in 2019 when she lost to Dalilah Muhammad—a runner who was breaking records left and right. That loss hit her hard, and honestly, it’s understandable. When the pandemic hit and Sydney found herself feeling a bit off in her performance, she made a bold move and decided to train with the legendary Bobby Kersee. And let me tell you, that was a total game-changer—not just for her, but for everyone in the track and field world!

Instead of overhauling Sydney’s entire technique, Kersee helped her glide more smoothly over those hurdles and sharpen her mental game. One big change he suggested was cutting her steps between hurdles from the usual 15 down to 14—kind of mimicking the men’s style to boost her efficiency and power. Honestly, under Kersee’s guidance, Sydney has done some incredible things. She bagged two gold medals in Tokyo, absolutely crushed the 400m hurdles at the USATF championships, and even set a new world record of 50.68 seconds at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. With all her hard work and Kersee’s expert coaching, Sydney is definitely a force to be reckoned with on that track!

With Kersee by her side, Sydney smashed the old record of 52.34 seconds that had been standing for nearly 16 years, finishing with an astonishing 50.65 seconds. And guess what? She didn’t stop there! When the 2024 Paris Olympics rolled around, she blew everyone away again with an even faster time of 50.37 seconds! It’s amazing to hear her say, “Growing as a person and as an athlete, he challenges me and pushes me in ways I didn’t think were possible.” Preceding her triumph at the Paris Olympics, she outpaced her competitors at the NYC Grand Prix, recording an impressive time of 48.75 in the 400m dash.

Training in Kersee’s “lab” has transformed Sydney into a dominant force on the track. She is not the only one benefiting from Kersee’s expertise; legends such as Florence Griffith Joyner, Gail Devers, and Allyson Felix have also thrived under his guidance. The seemingly insignificant directives from Kersee have proven to be pivotal rather than pointless, serving as the hidden ingredient behind Sydney’s Olympic triumph in Tokyo and beyond!