Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is in the form of her life as she builds towards one of the most defining seasons of her athletic career. The American hurdler and sprinter kicked off her 2025 campaign in stunning fashion, capturing the spotlight at the Michael Johnson Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica. She opened the season by clocking a world-leading 52.76 seconds in the 400m hurdles and followed it up with a 50.32-second win in the 400m flat, signaling her intent early.
Her dominance has continued throughout the GST circuit in Miami and Philadelphia, where she expanded her range beyond the 400m hurdles to include the 100m hurdles and the 100m sprint. This bold approach underscores her desire to evolve into a complete athlete, capable of excelling across various events.
As she gears up for the prestigious Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, McLaughlin-Levrone has opened up about the rituals that fuel her mental readiness. She describes a hyper-focused mindset that begins the moment she leaves her hotel room on race day. From then until the race concludes, everything revolves around preparation and execution.
A key component of her routine is the use of headphones, which she considers vital to her focus. For McLaughlin-Levrone, music is more than a pre-race soundtrack it’s a mental cocoon that blocks out distractions and immerses her in visualization and concentration. She emphasizes how disruptive it can be to remove them, noting that those around her know to give her space during those critical moments.
Training might allow for a more relaxed attitude, but once race day arrives, her demeanor transforms. The headphones go on, the world fades out, and the mental rehearsal begins. This ritualistic focus helps her enter what she describes as a “flow state,” where the race plays out in her mind before she even steps on the track.
Her current form and evolving approach reflect a broader ambition. She’s not only committed to dominating her signature event the 400m hurdles but is also determined to improve across multiple disciplines. Whether it’s the 100m, 200m, 400m, or hurdles at different distances, she’s chasing all-around excellence.
McLaughlin-Levrone envisions retiring with a record of achievement that spans the breadth of sprint and hurdle events. She likens her pursuit to a heptathlon without the label testing her limits across multiple races simply because she finds it rewarding and fun.
Her next stop is the Prefontaine Classic, but her sights are firmly set on the World Championships in Tokyo this September. There, she aims to reaffirm her position as one of track and field’s most versatile and unstoppable forces.
