Losing a Family Member Left Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone With a Gaping Hole in the Heart Just Before the Tokyo Olympics

The summer came for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and made her the best. Before the Olympic season, her resume was impressive, with many world records. However, after the summer, the athlete has gained a spot among those who are equally skilled in multiple events.

Last season, Sydney set two world records in the women’s 400m hurdles event. Meanwhile, her timing made her the fourth fastest in the all-time list of women’s 400m. And here comes the cherry on top. She is now the eighth fastest in the women’s 200m list of all-time. Still, that’s not all.

In Paris, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone grabbed two Olympic gold medals after missing track for a long time. In fact, her impressive 360-degree display in track and field sports has already earned her the title of the poster girl of the upcoming Grand Slam Track.

Quite an achievement at 25! But Sydney marked all these achievements without her biggest supporter by her side. That extends the discussion, asking about the identity of Sydney’s biggest cheering voice.

In 2021, before the Tokyo Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone tasted the world record for the first time. In the stacked event of women’s 400m hurdles in Olympic trials, she set 51.90 seconds—the best. Since then, she has changed the record five times—the last one came at the Paris Olympics.

But in those six times, she didn’t have her Uncle Russ to cheer for her. Unfortunately, she had to lose him to disease a few months before the Tokyo Olympics. A huge blow before her second Olympic appearance! But she sharpened herself enough to make her late uncle’s prophecy come true about her.