Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA Track & Field Photo)
What a way to close out the U.S. Olympic Trials Sunday night for Kentucky track and field. Two former Wildcats — Masai Russell (2023) and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (UKTF 2017-18) won gold in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles respectively to earn berths in the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s win was no surprise. She’s easily the best in the world and proved that again by winning the 400-meter hurdles in 50.65 seconds in Eugene, Ore., Sunday night. It was the fifth time in her career she has set the event world record and the second time she has won Olympic Trials gold in her career. She won the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene in 2021 with a then-world record of 51.90.
This will be her third Olympics after going as a 16-year-old high school athlete in 2016 and then winning gold in the 400 hurdles and 4×400-meter relay in Tokyo in 2021.
Russell was not the overwhelming favorite like McLaughlin-Levrone but she was the best in the 100-meter hurdles Sunday night. She finished in a world-best time this year of 12.25 seconds, her third straight personal best at the Trials.
She broke the 24-year-old Olympic Trials record of legendary Gail Devers 24-year-old U.S. Olympic Trials record of 12.33 set in 2000.
Kentucky athletes won four championships and six medals and will send five participants from the U.S. Trials to Paris for the 2024 Olympics in August with two other alumni/staff representing Kentucky on the international stage.
Russell and McLaughlin-Levrone join UK track alumni Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (2015-18; Team Puerto Rico), Andrew Evans (’14), Alexis Holmes (’22), Daniel Roberts (’19), and volunteer coach Devynne Charlton (Team Bahamas) as 2024 Olympians.
