With less than two months left for the Paris battle, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is speeding up with her Olympic preparations. The USATF NYC Grand Prix 2024 has also brought to light that on June 9, McLaughlin would be a part of the Continental Tour Gold. But it’s not just Sydney who has woven these track tales in her family. McLaughlin was just a 16-year-old teenager when she made history by securing a podium place finish in the 2016 U.S. Olympics Trial. And this makes it pretty evident that it’s all in the blood. 

Willie McLaughlin has been closely associated with the sprinting world. But it’s not just for her daughter Sydney who has emerged to be the athletic powerhouse. It was 1984 when Willie, Sydney McLaughlin’s father’s remarkable performance at the U.S. Olympic trials and created ripples. And now after 40 years, the genes and determination of Sydney Levrone are reaping fruits on the track. However, it’s not just Sydney Levrone who has written a success story on the track. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s siblings’ successes at high school, college, and international levels are uploading the McLaughlin family story and their shared passion.

All about Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s siblings

While Sydney’s unparalleled achievements and Olympic gold wins have catapulted her to the forefront of global athletics, the accomplishments of her siblings deserve their own spotlight. Before  Sydney Levrone’s name became household, Taylor McLaughlin, the eldest of the McLaughlin children, was already a track phenom. 24-year-old Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is currently the world record holder in the 400 m hurdle. But as it appears, it all runs in the family.

Taylor too grabbed a silver in the 400m hurdles at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships. Morgan McLaughlin, the elder sister of Sydney McLaughlin too has been a versatile competitor in hurdles and long jump. It is Taylor and Morgan who have been a guiding force for Sydney Levrone to take up sprinting at a very tender age. It’s not just the three McLaughlins who have found a place in the track arena. With the racing blood running deep, Ryan McLaughlin, the younger one in the family, also joined in. Clinching the New Jersey county track title, Ryan continued the legacy left behind by his siblings and his father.

Ryan is the emerging talent in hurdles and is effortlessly continuing to uphold the family’s athletic tradition. And to add to the rich racing heritage of the family, their father, Willie McLaughlin, is a proud inductee of the Manhattan College Hall of Fame. He has also been bestowed with the All-American annual honor for being an incredible athlete thrice. Their mother, Mary Neumeister McLaughlin too was a track athlete. Back in 1978, because of the absence of a women’s track team, Mary became a part of the boy’s team and later managed the men’s track team. “Our younger daughter, Sydney, is one that we referred to as the “circus baby.”  From birth, Syd had the most amazing balance and coordination”, said Willie McLaughlin.

What happened to track and field phenom Taylor McLaughlin?

Taylor McLaughlin stepped into the track world accidentally. He has been incredibly fit and athletic from his childhood. Willie McLaughlin stated, “As a baby, he wanted to sit up and be a part of things so badly that he would literally do abdominal crunches trying to do so”. But as Taylor grew up he aimed to become an engineer. Narrating how Taylor McLaughlin started his journey as a hurdler, his father added, “Taylor’s passion was to become a mechanical engineer, which led him to the decision to attend the University of Michigan, where he competed in the 400-meter hurdles”. While Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone began her journey with breaking the NCAA records, Taylor was already a shining high school athlete in the country. While Sydney Levrone became the Gatorade girls track athlete, she basically followed her elder brother Taylor’s footsteps who has already been the Gatorade boys track athlete. 

Taylor McLaughlin broke the 400m hurdles’ national record that stood intact for 15 years. He further established his dominance by winning the New Jersey 400m open state championship, thus becoming a sensation while in college. While Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone became an Olympic medal winner in 2016, Taylor became a part of the Michigan Wolverines. And competing in his freshman season in 2016, he won the Big Ten in the 400 hurdles. Additionally, he came fifth overall at the NCAA championships. 

However, despite having such a star-studded beginning, Taylor disappeared from the sprinting universe after his college career officially ended. Was this because he stepped into this world accidentally and he chose to pursue his engineering dreams? Or is there any other reason for this? What are your thoughts on the same?