The buzz around Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is heating up! Fans on X are going back and forth, debating whether the Diamond League organizers are bending their own rules by letting her compete. It all started when the Allianz Memorial Van Damme organizers announced that McLaughlin-Levrone would be a wildcard competing in both the 200m and 400m at the meet on September 13-14, which also happens to be the 2024 Brussels Diamond League final. Ever since, the track and field community has been buzzing, and opinions are flying.

When this news broke, a big track and field fan named Owens took to X to share his thoughts. He pointed out that according to the official Diamond League rules regarding global wild cards, an athlete must have competed in at least one Diamond League meet during the season to qualify. Therefore, since Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hasn’t participated in any Diamond League events this season, she doesn’t meet the criteria for a wildcard or automatic qualification.

Owens speculated that either the rules have changed without notice or organizers are bending them for select athletes. He emphasized the need for clear communication and warned that selectively applying rules creates a dangerous precedent. Owens backed his argument with a screenshot of the global wildcard criteria, which states that athletes must meet specific performance benchmarks or rankings to qualify, and noted that no competition can include both a national and global wildcard athlete.

When Carl Lewis, one of the greatest athletes of all time with 10 Olympic medals (nine of them gold) and 10 World Championship medals, weighed in on the debate, things got even more interesting. He posted, “They did it for me numerous times. It’s been happening for years, and it has always been a great idea. Get the best athletes to race, any way you can.”

Owens, however, respectfully pushed back, replying, “Always interested in hearing your thoughts, Carl, but don’t you think it defeats the whole purpose of having a league in the first place? Not only that, but the rules set out by the Diamond League to be eligible for a global wildcard have been made very clear, and in Syd’s case, she hasn’t met the criteria no matter what our thoughts and feelings are. We want to see the best race, but that starts with competing on the circuit more regularly and putting yourself in a position to be eligible for the DL final, whether that’s through points or meeting the wildcard criteria.”

Carl Lewis, not one to shy away from controversy, doubled down with a brief but pointed reply: “I’m not a fan of the Diamond League.” This raises two intriguing questions: Which athletes, despite not meeting the usual criteria, still managed to compete in the Diamond League? and Did allowing such athletes to compete establish a dangerous precedent in the history of track and field? The answer is sought from both the organizers in Brussels and fans around the world.

Will Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone follow Athing Mu’s lead?

Sydney McLaughlin Levrone is preparing for her next chapter on the track after an unforgettable showing at the Paris Olympics. At just 25 years old, she made headlines by shattering her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles with an astonishing time of 50.37 seconds. Not only did she clinch her second Olympic gold in this event, but she also anchored the U.S. women’s 4×400 meters relay team to a triumphant victory. With a performance that left the world in awe, the buzz is building: Could Sydney receive a wild card entry, similar to other athletes who have made dramatic comebacks?

Take Athing Mu, for instance. Last year, she stunned everyone with her last-minute decision to compete in the Prefontaine Classic, the 2023 Diamond League final. Fresh off a third-place finish in the 800m at the World Championships in Budapest on August 27, Mu seemed ready to step back from the sport. But then, her name unexpectedly appeared on the women’s 800m entry list for the Prefontaine Classic. Was it a sudden change of heart, or was her sponsor, Nike, pulling the strings?

Despite skipping other Diamond League meets that season, Mu was granted a wild card entry, and she seized the opportunity with both hands. She won the race in a blazing 1:54.97, setting a new American and meet record. With Mu’s surprise comeback fresh in everyone’s minds, the question remains: Will Sydney McLaughlin Levrone get her chance to dazzle the world once more with a wildcard entry of her own? The track world is waiting with bated breath.