EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her second U.S. title in the 400-meter flat Saturday, running the oval in 48.90 seconds to secure a spot in the race at world championships later this summer.
McLaughlin-Levrone, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in the 400 hurdles, has been focusing on the flat race this season. She beat Isabella Whittaker by .31 seconds to improve to 6-0 lifetime in 400-meter finals.
McLaughlin-Levrone also won the national title in 2023, but missed worlds due to injury.
This marked the 25-year-old's third time cracking the 49-second mark in the 400. It was her best time of the season, though she came up short of both her personal best (48.74) and the American record (48.70) set by Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.
That record figures to be in jeopardy in Tokyo in September on the same track where McLaughlin-Levrone won her first Olympic hurdles title four years ago.
But she is no sure thing to win. Two runners — 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser and defending world and Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino — have run faster this year than McLaughlin-Levrone did in Saturday's final at Hayward Field.
“It just takes reps,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “I'm grateful for this opportunity, grateful to be on the team, grateful to be healthy, grateful to God that I'm here.”
McLaughlin-Levrone also has two Olympic gold medals in the women's 4x400 relay.
Jacory Patterson won the men's 400 in 44.16 seconds to earn a spot on his first outdoor world-championships team.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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