Arch-rivals turned fast friends, literally! Could this be the tagline for an electrifying track and field supergroup soon? With the 2024 Paris Olympics now over, there are several new things to look forward to for track fans right now. Among them, the thought of watching the enigmatic Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spearhead the charge for Olympic icon Michael Johnson’s ambitious Grand Slam Track is certainly a titillating one. However, the veterans believe the 4x Olympics gold medalist shouldn’t nullify the chances of joining hands with one of her biggest competitors.

At the Paris Games, McLaughlin-Levrone defended both her gold medals from three years ago in style. One of those golds came in the women’s 400mH race, where she trounced Dutch rival Femke Bol to clinch a victory and set a new world record in the event. And yet, some pundits believe these two stars should collaborate in a thrilling new league!

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone gets experts’ approval

On September 15, retired sprinters Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green came together for an episode of the Ready Set Go podcast to talk about the possibility of seeing McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol in the same camp. In the short snippet, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist Gatlin claimed that the world’s biggest spikes producers should start a track league of their own that transcends beyond national borders and pits top runners against each other. During the conversation, the hosts discussed how elite brands like Puma, ASICS, Nike, and Adidas can usher in a new era in track sports, and naturally, the New Jersey native had to be mentioned.

At one point, Green started mentioning the emphatic stars who are represented by New Balance and claimed that the apparel maker would decimate all competition in women’s 4x400m relay should such a Shoe Wars indeed take place. “New Balance got Feke Bol, they got Sydney McLaughlin, they got Gabby Thomas and they got Kendall Ellis,” lists Green, and it shouldn’t take much imagination on the fans’ part to know how beefy this team would be in a 4x400m relay race.

“Ain’t no shoe company they lying with whatever they want, but they not beating New Balance. I know that for a fact and I would love to see that 4×4,” Green says with genuine excitement, and we can feel the speed already. If such an event really did happen, it would also offer Bol the opportunity to set her rivalry with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone aside and give the duo a chance to rely on each other’s prowess to secure victory.

A chance for redemption for Bol, à la SML?

The Olympian from the Netherlands, Femke Bol, is a force to be reckoned with in hurdle events. For justifiable reasons, the two-time World Championships gold medalist is seen as a formidable opponent of McLaughlin-Levrone. However, fans were still left craving for more at the Paris Olympics when Bol took a tumble in the 400mH final in the City of Love last month. After the race, Bol was heard fuming at her own shambling performance and claimed it was the worst race of her life.

“I’m extremely disappointed,” the 24-year-old said upfront about her display of speed at Stade de France. Considering how she smashed through the indoor 400m world record twice in two weeks just before the Paris Games, Bol was poised to give McLaughlin-Levrone a run for her money. But with that not happening, fans wouldn’t mind seeing the two hurdling juggernauts join hands for a different quest.

On the other hand, after her emphatic win in both the invitational races at the season-closer of the 2024 Diamond League, Sydney also seemed to embark on an introspection journey, which made her ponder the time she has left as a professional sprinter. Asserting that she doesn’t have too many years as a runner ahead, McLaughlin-Levrone seemed almost philosophical with her question.

While it remains to be seen what the future holds for the 25-year-old Olympian, fans wouldn’t mind seeing her waving the white flag toward Femke Bol to bring more neck-break action to the track connoisseurs. What about you? Wouldn’t it be historic to see them race together with Gabby Thomas by their side? Tell us who else should be on the star-studded team!