Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Reveals Strategy for Upcoming Season Post-Budapest Heartbreak

It isn’t new to hear Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone leading her way on the track to win various titles and gold medals. Her participation over the previous season was tragically cut short after she pulled out of the Budapest World Championships owing to injuries. Yet, since the Olympics and the recent invitational race at the Brussels Diamond League, her skills seem unruffled, if not better.

To McLaughlin-Levrone, it all comes down to proper rest and recovery — the main reason she gave up on a potential World title in 2023. Her forte surrounding long-distance sprints and hurdles has put her up frequently against her prime on-track rival — Femke Bol.

While Bol dominated the field events last year, the 25-year-old American icon seems to have a killer strategy for the upcoming season.

In an interview with FloTrack after her successful run at the Brussels Diamond League special Invitational race, McLaughlin-Levrone spilled some details on her preparation for 2025. Amidst other nuances, she pointed out how she wanted to prioritize staying healthy.

Since her heartbreaking exit from the World Championships at Budapest in 2023 due to knee injuries, McLaughlin-Levrone didn’t want to take any chances. Her safety and recovery were a priority, especially because she admitted that the injuries had also been a hurdle during the current season.

“I still battled some of those knee injuries even early this season, and so we really had to take it one week at a time, one month at a time, and make up the schedule as we went.“

Her next big event on the list is Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, where she has teased her participation across multiple events beyond her marquee ones. The veteran had signed the Olympian before any other athlete to mark her as the ambassador for the event.

With a stellar record this season, fans know that McLaughlin-Levrone’s ultimate goal is to beat herself and her timings on track. Winning has just been a byproduct of her achievements, and she takes her goals seriously.

With the Grand Slam Track event aside, she also said that if her schedule permits, a European Diamond League was in the charts. In the Brussels Diamond League Invitational meet finals, she participated in the 200m and 400m doubles—two events that weren’t necessarily her strengths, yet she walked away with winning titles for both events.