Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Olympic double quest all but crushed by schedule-makers

A decision by Olympic schedule-makers has left fans so mad they’re not seeing double.

American track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s thoughts of sweeping the 400-meters and the 400-meter hurdles at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles were dashed on Wednesday when a majority of the schedule was released.

As currently constructed, it leaves McLaughlin-Levrone, 26, the reigning world champ in the 400 meters and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner in the 400 hurdles, having to run both events on the same day, twice on July 18 and 20. Not impossible, but not exactly probable.

United States’ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone celebrates their victory in the women’s 4 X 400 meters relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. AP

“The world’s loss,” Bob Kersee, McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach told the Orange County Register.

Even a secondary plan of running the 400 hurdles and 200 meters is a nearly impossible feat due to scheduling.

“She could do it,” Kersee told the Southern California News Group on Wednesday of a possible 400 double. “She’s proven she’s capable. Yeah, she’s capable of doing it. So why not give her the opportunity?

“We’re a sport fighting for attention. So why do you make this decision? This shows the weakness of our sport. We’ve got the stars but we don’t get any help from the top.”

United States’ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competes in the women’s 4 X 400 meters relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. AP

McLaughlin-Levrone, a New Jersey native, has set or reset the world record in the 400-meter hurdles, including two Olympic gold medal performance in Tokyo and Paris, with the 2024 games performance of 50.37 seconds still standing as the mark to beat.

At the World Championships in June, she ran the 400 in 47.78 seconds, the second-fastest recorded mark.

It’s possible schedule-makers revise their calendars — something done for Michael Johnson when he successfully attempted a double in the 200- and 400-meter races in Atlanta in 1996 and for Allyson Felix in 2016 — before the the Los Angeles Games begin on July 2028.