“I was ashamed because I knew I could have won”- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on her emotional loss at debut World Championships

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once recalled the disappointment she felt after her loss to Dalilah Muhammad in a major race. This happened at the World Championships 2019, where she had to settle for the silver medal after losing to Muhammad in the women’s 400m hurdles race.

McLaughlin-Levrone, who was competing in her first-ever World Championships, spoke about how a technical error at the eighth hurdle affected her momentum and contributed to her second-place finish. She shared about this hurdling technique impacting her performance in her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, which was released in January 2024.

In her book, she expressed her disappointment and emotional vulnerability due to the loss:

“After putting on a smile, congratulating Dalilah for her extraordinary achievement, and taking pictures with the American flag, I found my dad in the tunnel. When I saw him, I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. Coming in second at the World Championships broke me. I sobbed uncontrollably.” “I wanted more. Most of all, I knew things could have been different. My preparation hadn’t been right. My hurdle technique was flawed. I was ashamed because I knew I could have won,” she added.

Notably, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (52.23s) narrowly lost to compatriot Dalilah Muhammad, who broke her own world record with a 52.16s. Despite finishing as the runner-up at the World Championships 2019, McLaughlin-Levrone went on to leave an incredible mark on the sport, not only with her remarkable performance at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene but also as a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

She has also broken the 400m hurdles world record on six occasions, having first broken it at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials held in 2021.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone made her Prefontaine Classic debut in 2025

: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at Prefontaine Classic 2025 (Photo: Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who had previously never featured in any editions of the Prefontaine Classic, made her debut at the event in 2025. At the meet, she was a part of the 400m flat promotional event, which she comfortably won with a season-best performance of 49.43s.

She came well ahead of her opponents, Aaliyah Butler and Isabella Whittaker, who ran times of 49.86s and 50.81s, to place second and third, respectively, in the race. Notably, the 400m is the only event Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has entered for the 2025 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships.

This implies that she would be chasing a podium in a different event if she qualifies for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with a top-three finish at the USAs in the 400m. So far, McLaughlin-Levrone is a three-time world champion, including one in the 400m hurdles with a world-record performance, and two in the women’s 4x400m relay event, besides her silver at the 2019 World Championships in hurdles.

Edited by Abhiruchi Rout