Could another world record be coming for Sydney McLaughlin in Olympics

Former University of Kentucky standout Sydney McLaughlin set a new world record in the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials to earn her second straight trip to the Olympics. She finished in 51.9 seconds, the first time a woman has gone under 52 seconds.

She beat reigning world champion Dalilah Muhammad who finished in 52.42 seconds to take second.

It was another amazing moment for McLaughlin. She qualified for the Olympics in Rio in 2016 when she was 16 and will now head to Tokyo at age 21 as the gold medal favorite.

“Her race was spectacular. I have never seen anything like it. She ran it with ease,” said Sharrieffa Barksdale, 1984 Olympian who now works for USA Track & Field after spending 22 years in Lexington where she worked 13 years for Goodwill Industries. “What she did was amazing. I have never seen anything like that. If I had false teeth, they would have fallen out. She was genuinely shocked and couldn’t believe she did it, either.”

At Kentucky, McLaughlin won the 400 hurdles gold at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships along with the SEC title. She left Kentucky after one year to concentrate on a full-time track career.

Barksdale predicted greatness for McLaughlin before she signed with Kentucky and thinks there is more to come.

“Between them, the world record will go down again,” Barksdale said. “She (McLaughlin) has so much left. She did not even look like she was running. She wanted it and sacrificed and gave up a lot to get to this point. Both of them (McLaughlin and Muhammad) are going to be peaking at the perfect time for the Olympics.

“They push each other. They both went up to each other after the race, and that was really special. That’s what our sport is all about and why they are good for each other.”

So what time could the 400 hurdles produce in Tokyo?

“I think 51.6 or 51.7. Either one of them could do it,” Barksdale said. “The one who runs the perfect race will win gold and set another world record. I know it’s coming.”