It’s been a memorable month of July for the U.S. at the World Athletics Championships.
Last week, Allyson Felix earned a bronze medal in her final world championships race. This week, Sydney McLaughlin set a world record in the 400 hurdles.
Sydney McLaughlin and a world record? You’ve heard this before. Actually, you’ve heard it a number of times over the past year.
Her 50.68 finish on Friday broke her previous world record of 51.41 set at the 2022 U.S. Championships, which had broken her record of 51.46 at the Tokyo Olympics, and 51.90 at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.
And with Friday’s record-setting run, McLaughlin made it look easy. Watch as she ran away from the field without a single competitor even close.
ANOTHER World Record for Sydney McLaughlin⚡️
She breaks her own 400m hurdles record with a 50.68 finish!
🎥 @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/dvkFe2J4UE
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 23, 2022
McLaughlin’s recent string of record-breaking performances comes on the heels of a 400m record that Yuliya Penchonkina (Russia) had stood for 16 years.
At just 22 years of age, it’s wild to think of how many more times McLaughlin could outdo herself in the years to come.
