Pride comes before a fall, and even the brightest stars can trip over their confidence. Take Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, for instance. At a young age, she was already racking up world records and Olympic golds—six world records in the 400-meter hurdles and four Olympic golds, to be exact. She even broke her own world record twice this year, proving her only competition is herself. But, before all the glory, there was a time when Sydney, in her early years, learned the hard way that overconfidence can trip you up.

Flashback to 2016—Sydney’s first Olympic taste at Rio. The spotlight was on Dalilah Muhammad, who took gold in the Women’s 400m hurdles, while Sydney didn’t even make it past the semi-finals. Fast forward to 2018, when she was 19, strutting into the professional scene after turning pro while still at Kentucky University. With her head held high and a swag that matched her accolades, Sydney probably thought she had it all figured out—until reality served her a humbling reminder at US Nationals.

Young Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone major setback due to overconfidence

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wasn’t always the record-breaking, gold-winning phenom we know today. She admits in her book Far Beyond the Gold: Running from Fear to Faith that early in her pro career, she let the thrill of success cloud the essentials of being a top athlete. “I was so fixated on the highs of being a professional track athlete that I let the essence of the job slip away—performance. I missed too many training days that first year as a professional. I was the queen of excuses.”

Sydney admitted that there were times when she didn’t feel like training, and she would make excuses, like saying her feet hurt or that she didn’t want to aggravate her stress fracture. She would also claim she wasn’t feeling well or that something had come up. Looking back, she said, “I think I missed as many as forty days of training in the lead-up to the US Nationals and World Championships. Way too much. ”

But in 2019, Sydney was ready to turn the page. She was making waves, especially after her standout race at the Diamond League’s Oslo Bislett Games, where she edged out Rio Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad. With that win under her belt, she was confident for her next big challenge: the 2019 USA Championships in Des Moines. “When I showed up in Des Moines for the US Nationals in July 2019, I thought I was ready for my first major race because I’d beaten Dalilah the month before. I was not.” The results? Well, let’s just say Sydney had a bit of a reality check.

In the heats, she clocked a 54.24, securing second place. Fast-forward to the finals and she managed to improve to 52.88, but again, finished in second. Meanwhile, Dalilah Muhammad had her own epic moment. She dominated the event, not only beating Sydney but also breaking the 400-meter hurdles world record with a time of 52.20, shattering the 16-year-old record previously held by Yuliya Pechonkina. Muhammad became only the second woman in history after Sally Gunnell to win the Olympic title and break the world record in the same year. How did that feel for the overconfident, underprepared Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone?

“I was shocked. Stunned. Confused. Once I’d beaten Dalilah, I’d naively thought I knew what she had in the tank. Yet, she beat me. Not just beat me but demolished me—and took the record I had been dreaming of with her. Sheesh.” It was a tough pill to swallow, but that loss became a game-changer. Sydney shook off her naivety and put in the work, passing her previous laziness in training. She came back stronger, taking every race—and every hurdle—with utmost sincerity to avenge her defeat.

Sydney’s lesson learned continues to this day

After the Des Moines event, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone went back to the drawing board, training harder than ever and pushing herself to challenge her own records. The next time she crossed paths with Dalilah Muhammad was at the 2021 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. There, McLaughlin took down Muhammad in epic fashion, clocking a world record time of 51.90 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. But she wasn’t done yet. At the Tokyo Olympics later that year, she went even faster, smashing her record to 51.46 seconds and securing Olympic gold.

What followed was nothing short of remarkable. Sydney had learned from her past mistakes, maintaining the consistency that propelled her upward in her career. As of December 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone holds an impressive six world records in the women’s 400-meter hurdles set over four years, from the 2021 Olympic Trials to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sydney didn’t just surpass her previous achievements—she continued to improve, leaving the past behind with each new record. And she certainly didn’t forget what she had learned from Dalilah Muhammad. In June 2024, Dalilah posted a farewell message on Instagram: “No long post. It’s race day!! My last Olympic trials. Let’s get it.”

Dalilah didn’t make it to the Olympics, finishing in sixth place at the Eugene Trials. Sydney, who secured her third Olympic spot, shared a heartfelt message in response, acknowledging her former rival’s impact: “Anna said it best, you’ve change the game. Thank you for pushing me so many, including myself to be out best. ✨🙏🏽🤍 #legend.” It’s clear that while Sydney has now risen to the top, she remembers the lessons learned from those who challenged her along the way.