Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Reveals How Coach Bobby’s ‘Pointless’ Antics Were Key to Tokyo Olympics Success: ‘Never Explained’
Did Bobby Kersee’s ‘pointless commands’ actually hold the secret to Sydney’s Olympic success?
For sure, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has totally made a name for herself as one of the best in track and field, but it wasn’t always like that. Remember back in 2016? That was her first Olympic debut, and let’s just say it didn’t go as planned. Fast forward to the 2021 Olympics, and Sydney snatched up two gold medals like it was no big deal.
But as the heat in Tokyo got closer, she started feeling those familiar jitters. After some tough losses to her rival Dalilah Muhammad, the pressure was on Sydney to flip the script and come out on top, all while dealing with a bunch of distractions. But here’s the cool part: Sydney opened up about how her coach, Bobby Kersee, was a total game-changer for her.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals her coach’s antics
In her book Far Beyond Gold, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared a behind-the-scenes look at how her coach, Bobby Kersee, helped her stay focused during the hectic moments of the 2021 Olympics. As she geared up for her first heat, a malfunction led to multiple false starts, putting her on edge. With so much at stake, Sydney knew she had to stay locked in and not let distractions throw her off track.
Leading up to the race, Bobby’s training methods left Sydney scratching her head. He would call her to the blocks and then throw out what she called his “pointless commands.” She recalled him saying things like, “Stand up. Wait a minute. Go run a lap. Jog to the first turn, then come back.” At the time, she thought, “What is he doing? He sounds spastic.” Bobby “never explained” his reasoning, leaving her puzzled about how these quirky exercises would help her when it mattered most.
When race day rolled around, those “pointless commands” turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With the false starts trying to throw her off her game, Sydney found herself prepared to handle the chaos. “Thanks to Bobby, I was able to stay focused and win my quarterfinal heat.” Those odd drills ultimately gave her the mental edge she needed to transform distractions into a path to victory. So how has Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach contributed to her success?
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach her key to records
At just 16, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had already hit the Olympic stage and was on the fast track in her career. But after losing to Dalilah Muhammad in 2019—who smashed world records in both races—Sydney was feeling pretty frustrated. So, she figured, why not see if Bobby Kersee could coach her? That decision totally changed the game for her and the track world!
With Kersee in her corner, McLaughlin-Levrone took that record that had been sitting at 52.34 seconds for almost 16 years and crushed it with a new time of 50.65 seconds. Then came the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she upped her own game and clocked an insane 50.37 seconds! She said it best herself: “Growing as a person and as an athlete, he challenges me and pushes me in ways I didn’t think were possible.”
