WATCH: Sydney MacLaughlin returns to Lexington

by:Jack Pilgrim10/03/18

Hidden in the madness of Kentucky’s massive victory over South Carolina was a homecoming for one very popular former Wildcat.

Sydney McLaughlin, Kentucky’s record-setting track phenom from the 2017-18 season, returned to Lexington to soak in Kentucky’s fifth-consecutive victory in front of a sell-out crowd.

“It’s great to be back. One year at Kentucky, it was a great year for us,” she said in an interview with Bradley McKee of UK Athletics. “It’s great to be back and have the energy and the vibe (in Lexington).”

In her time in Lexington, McLaughlin made sure to leave with every possible record shattered in her events. She set the world junior 400m record with a time of 50.36 at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, and followed it up with a 400m time of 50.07 seconds, a new NCAA Freshman record. With that time, McLaughlin became the second-fastest person to run the 400m at the collegiate level ever behind Courtney Okolo and now leads the world in the event.

She also managed to break the NCAA record in the 400m hurdles, finishing with a 52.75 time to win the event in her first SEC championship appearance. In the process, McLaughlin destroyed the World U20 time and broke Shamier Little’s time of 53.21 set at the 2013 NCAA Championships to become No. 13 on the all-time world list.

And oh yeah, she’s just 0.41 seconds away from becoming the fastest woman hurdler in the world, a record she will almost certainly break in the professional ranks.

For McLaughlin’s entire interview with UK Athletics, take a look below:

While you’re at it, re-watch her viral video on the starting blocks, which currently has 5.92 million views on Twitter alone.

#LaFamilia

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2024-03-29