Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ‘Almost Ran Over’ Gabby Thomas in Their First Practice Together During Paris Olympics 2024

Can you believe it’s been almost four months since the Paris Olympics? Time really flies, but one thing that’s still fresh in everyone’s mind is the USA women’s 4x400m relay team. They made history again, claiming their eighth consecutive gold medal in the event with a time of 3:15.27, the second-fastest time ever. Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, and Alexis Holmes were on fire, finishing more than four seconds ahead of the competition. But was it smooth sailing the whole way? Not exactly.

There was actually a pretty intense moment in the race. Picture this: McLaughlin-Levrone passes the baton to Thomas with about 200 meters to go, and then, bam—Thomas almost trips on the inside rail! That could’ve been a disaster, right? But somehow, Thomas managed to stay on her feet and keep the lead that McLaughlin-Levrone had worked so hard to build. Alexis Holmes, who was ready to finish it off, said, “Once I saw Gabby back on the track, I knew we were gonna be OK.” But let’s be real: how many of us would’ve freaked out in that moment?

McLaughlin-Levrone deserves a huge shout-out, though. She put the team in a position to win with a jaw-dropping 47.70-second lap—the fastest of the whole race. How does she do that? Gabby Thomas was in awe. She said, “There is nobody in the world who can finish a 400 that fast. I’ve never seen that before in my life; she came in so hot I was like, ‘She almost ran me over.” Can you even imagine running a 400 like that?

Here’s the kicker, though: you could almost say that the team didn’t even have a chance to work on the correct way of baton handoffs within the team. Gabby Thomas, in her recent podcast with Mike Jackson on Spotify, had to tell that it was indeed the first time ever that she was exchanging the baton with McLaughlin-Levrone. As she puts it, “For that relay, we didn’t get to practice at all, so that was my first time ever doing an exchange with Sydney…I was like, She almost ran me over.” But at the same time, this news came up after the tension between the two!

Gabby Thomas’ achievements vs. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s record-breaking feats

This year Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s hard work paid off as she had a year full of success! Not only did she retain her Olympic title in the 400m hurdles, but she also regained her world record-breaker title, and she actually broke her record twice in one year. She was incandescent; in the 4x400m relay, she ran a leg of 47.7, and she got another gold as well. Therefore, how did she fail to be in a position to be awarded the Female Athlete of the Year? It is a question that has people wondering and continues to be asked.

Here’s the drama: Even though she had hundreds of record-breaking moments, McLaughlin-Levrone was unable to win the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year Award over Gabby Thomas. Fans were confused. Still standing out as the only female Olympic 400m hurdles finalist to defend her title, she has set two world records within one year. Shouldn’t that deserve a bit more recognition? But is that fair? Or do we overdetermine it by the icons of numbers?

Gabby Thomas undoubtedly had a great Olympics, all things considered. And so, three golds—among which the 200m track—and absolutely splendid in relays. But was that enough to top McLaughlin-Levrone’s world record-breaking feats? Or should the fact that McLaughlin-Levrone had been dominant all year long have been the decider? It’s tough, right? Both women have worked so hard for that goal, but who actually had a right to claim that award? The controversy continues, and it seems that there is little chance of stopping soon. What do you think?