Who is Sydney McLaughlin? Meet the record-breaking hurdler headed to 2021 Olympics

Track star Sydney McLaughlin is headed for the Olympics after a record-breaking performance.

The gun sounded and 51.9 seconds later Sydney McLaughlin became the first woman to ever finish the 400-meter hurdles in less than 52 seconds.

This world record-setting performance in the Women’s 400m Hurdles Final occurred during the final day of the Olympic trials on Sunday. After McLaughlin crossed the finish line she then crouched to her knees with her hand over her mouth speechless. She defeated the previous world record holder Dalilah Muhammad, who came in second and shook McLaughlin’s afterward and, still in shock, McLaughlin said “oh my gosh.”

Who is Sydney McLaughlin?

The 21-year-old is now headed to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. In the 2019 Championships, McLaughlin came up short when she competed against Muhammad and her then record-setting performance, however, McLaughlin revealed this year felt different.

“I was growing into my own person,” McLaughlin said about her earlier defeat, during her post-event press conference. “The biggest difference this year is my faith, trusting God and trusting that process. Knowing that He’s in control of everything and as long as I put the hard work in He’s going to carry me through.”

One of the changes McLaughlin has made since her 2019 second-place finish at the world championships was switching coaches. Then she was coached by Joanna Hayes and in the summer of 2020, she worked under the tutelage of Bob Kersee, who is known for training elite athletes in sprints and hurdles. The change is already paying dividends and looks like it will make things interesting in Tokyo this summer.