WATCH: Sydney McLaughlin breaks her own world record in 400-meter hurdles
Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin continued her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles event, breaking her own world record on Saturday. McLaughlin set a new world record for the event at the Olympics when she ran a 51.46 second race for a gold medal. At the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships this weekend, the former Kentucky athlete broke her own record — running the event in 51.41 seconds in the semi-finals.
Sydney McLaughlin sets world record for the third time
McLaughlin ran out of lane five in her semi-final heat, and appeared to be on an easy pace early during the record-setting effort. As he began to come around the final turn of the race into the last stretch, her speed never faltered and the broadcast realized that she could competing with her own record. After clearing the last hurdle, McLaughlin finished the race strong and crossed the finish line with a new world record — barely showing a reaction on the track for her semifinal heat win.
The former Kentucky runner made a major name for herself at the 2020 Olympic Games, when she shattered the world record by nearly half a second. In that race, gold and silver went to the U.S. runners after both broke the previous world record time. Sydney McLaughlin set the world record with a 51.46 finish, narrowly beating Dalilah Muhammad who timed at 51.58. The previous world record was set by McLaughlin herself when qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Saturday’s race marks the third time that McLaughlin has set a new world record in the 400-meter event over the past two years.