After setting a new women’s 400-meter American record during Tuesday’s semifinal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone followed it up with another new record and a first-place finish in the final on Thursday.
McLaughlin-Levrone finished with a time of 47.78 seconds, besting Tuesday’s time of 48.29 seconds, which had broken the previous American record of 48.70 set by Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006. Thursday’s finish set a new World Championship record and marks the second-fastest women’s 400m time in history behind German Marita Koch’s world record of 47.60 set in 1985.
The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who is the reigning Olympic champion in the 400m, placed second with a time of 47.98 seconds. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser finished third at 48.19 seconds.
The victory continues McLaughlin-Levrone’s foray into individual flat running. She’s widely regarded as one of the greatest hurdlers of all time, winning gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, as well as the 2022 World Championships. She also owns gold medals in the 4×400-meter relay at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, and the 2019 and 2022 World Championships.
Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports reported that McLaughlin-Levrone turned her attention to the flat 400m this year because she hoped to achieve her goal of becoming the first woman in track & field history to win gold medals at the World Championships in both the 400m flat and 400m hurdles.
The 26-year-old accomplished what she set out to do on Thursday, adding another impressive feat to her illustrious career.
