meetings,2024 was full of record-breaking performances in track and field owing to the Paris Olympics. However, several athletes, such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, only made appearances at major events. But she excelled and met the high expectations of the fans. Why so? She found herself coming back from an injury in 2024, so she just focused on the events that mattered throughout the campaign.

Sydney is considered one of the modern greats, all because of her accolades. However, she is a human being, and mishaps on the track are common. Therefore, to minimize any potential risks, McLaughlin-Levrone focused solely on achieving the highest accolades. Recently, her agent also confirmed the reason behind missing a lot of meetings apart from just being keen to compete in major events.

One of the major aspects of track and field

In track and field, there are several factors that an athlete needs to consider to always be at the top of their game. For athletes like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the schedules are quite different. And especially when it comes to her training. Apart from just focusing on the body 24/7, her agent, Sekou Clarke, clarified on Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast on YouTube that recovery is very vital for an athlete like her.

“Even on this side now, as an agent, right, like working with the best in the world, and I’m watching how they train and how they recover, like I remember, um, looking at Sydney; her recovery process day to day is like 4 hours long, the recovery part of her training, and that is every day,” said the track and field agent. McLaughlin-Levron is an exceptional athlete. Indeed, throughout her stellar career, she has consistently placed at the top of the podium. However, this particular performance can be attributed to a rigorous training schedule and an extensive recovery process.

This specific aspect of an athlete’s life enables them to advance in their career, and the more they recover before an event, the more they can perform at their peak. Apart from being an agent of Sydney, Clarke opened up about another of his encounters with a track legend, describing the importance of recovery, stating, “Honestly, the first time I really saw an elite-level recovery is Justin. I remember I went over to Justin’s house for the Super Bowl one year. And we’re watching the game, and I see Justin rubbing and stretching the whole time. And I’m like, Yo, this man is recovering during his recovery. He’s locked in, and I’m like, ‘On the next level, man.’ I mean, you have to be locked in for that recovery.”

Gatlin was also a top athlete on his team. Indeed, Gatlin faced competition from none other than Usain Bolt on the track, necessitating the American to constantly maintain his physical fitness. And after extensive training, recovery is the best way to get the maximum results!

Indeed, Clarke found it astonishing to see how these athletes manage their lives and maintain balance. That too, while enduring the physical strain of their training periods.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone handled her recovery really well

Six months was the time period that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was unavailable for any kind of track meet. Indeed, she even withdrew from the 2023 Budapest World Championships, owing to her knee injury. While there were plenty of questions from the community about her heading into the 2024 campaign, she herself announced that she would be competing right from the start of the outdoor season.

Indeed, her ambitions were big, and McLaughlin-Levrone completely focused only on the 400 mH events. While she could’ve opted to run in the 400m as well, she avoided it, as she settled for Team USA’s 400mH spot and the women’s 4x400m relays. She knew that she couldn’t risk appearing in every single event she could, as recovery was her major focus. Taking to social media, she revealed her mentality, stating, “I think for me it just shows that anything really is possible and that we are continuing to push the bounds of that, and I am excited to continue seeing how we can cut more time off.” 

The thought process of the American athlete was prior to the Olympic Games, and it was evident that she was already preparing for something big. So the moment she arrived at the Stade de France, she made sure that she reached the crowd’s expectations. And that’s exactly what she did when she added yet two more gold medals to her growing collection. And as fans we might expect more in future too.