Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is preparing to finish an incredible 2024 season with a final effort in Brussels in the women’s 400-meter invitational. After resting during a holiday in Greece with her husband, Andre Levrone, the American athlete will return to the track, looking for an excellent finale to her spectacular season.
McLaughlin-Levrone was a leading contender heading into the Paris Olympics. And she lived up to all of the track community’s predictions, winning Olympic gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and 4×400-meter relays, making her a four-time Olympic champion.
She avoided additional events because she was on vacation with her husband in Greece. As seen on Track Spice’s X profile, the Olympian explained her post-Olympics break from the sport:
“My husband and I went to Greece to relax for a week. That was necessary after those fantastic Olympic Games, which I had been working towards for so long. I feel very grateful for what I was able to experience in Paris.“
She said the holiday was vital for her after a dream-like Olympic Games in which she added two more Olympic gold medals to her already impressive track resume.
McLaughlin-Levrone also praised her own performance and expressed gratitude for the experience Paris provided her. The athlete also discussed her views upon returning from her vacation:
“After that, we returned to Los Angeles. But because I still feel physically and mentally fresh, I wanted to run one more meeting to close the season.“
After an invigorating holiday, McLaughlin-Levrone returned to Los Angeles feeling mentally and physically strong. She fully intends to compete in one more track meet before officially concluding her 2024 season.
Sydney McLaughlin on why she is running this week “My husband and I went to Greece to relax for a week. That was necessary after those fantastic Olympic Games, which I had been working towards for so long. I feel very grateful for what I was able to experience in Paris. After… pic.twitter.com/gg11OetTFL
— Track Spice ️ (@trackspice) September 11, 2024
Numerous rumors circulated that the American athlete would compete in the Brussels Diamond League, but event officials quickly dismissed those rumors as they circulated across the community.
To draw a larger audience for the main event, Diamond League officials invited McLaughlin-Levrone to Brussels, where she would compete in an Invitational race in the 400-meter category.
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This will be an exceptional challenge for the American, as she has only competed in this division once this season, at the USATF New York City Grand Prix, where she ran a time of 48.75 seconds, 0.01 seconds slower than her personal best.
However, she then concentrated solely on the 400-meter hurdles, hoping to defend her Olympic title at the 2021 Tokyo Games. She eventually met all her seasonal goals, including setting a world record in the hurdles with a time of 50.37 seconds.
The flat race in Brussels will be something fresh for her. After seeing her run a strong anchor leg in the women’s 4×400-meter relays in Paris, fans will be eager to see her perform at a similar level in an individual race.
