Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Shatters World Record With 50.37 to Win 400m Hurdles Gold in Paris

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone captured her second consecutive Olympic gold in the women's 400 meters hurdles at the Paris Olympics, breaking her own world record by 0.28 seconds with a new time of 50.37. This marked her sixth career world record and her second consecutive world record at the Olympics, following a 51.46 finish in Tokyo. Just last year at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, she improved her record to 50.65.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on her performance: “It’s been an amazing journey filled with hard work this year. The race was extremely challenging, and my nerves were definitely there, especially before the final. The depth of talent in this event is remarkable, with hurdles like Femke and Anna pushing the competition. I'm always striving to improve elements like stride pattern and flight speed. While a perfect race might be unattainable, getting closer to breaking 49 seconds is the goal."

Anna Cockrell secured the silver with a time of 51.87, becoming only the fourth woman to break the 52-second barrier. She improved her personal best by 0.08 seconds, overtaking Femke Bol in the final stages.

Cockrell shared her excitement: “I’m just overwhelmed and grateful. Setting a personal best and winning a medal is incredible. My coach advised me to enjoy the moment and be myself, which made all the difference."

Femke Bol, who previously set the European record at Tokyo 2021 with a time of 52.03, won the bronze in 52.15. She edged out NCAA contender Jasmine Jones, who finished fourth. Bol expressed disappointment: “In an Olympic final, you aim to deliver your best. Unfortunately, I didn't perform as expected due to unexpected lactic acid build-up early in the race. I'll focus on the positives and discuss the outcome with my coach while trying to appreciate the bronze medal."

This race not only highlighted individual achievements and setbacks but also the intense competitive spirit and emotional highs and lows of Olympic-level competition.

400m HURDLES FINAL RESULTS

More Day 8 Highlights

Men’s 110 metres hurdles final: 

Three-time world champion Grant Holloway finally won the Olympic gold medal in 12.99 (-0.1 m/s) three years after finishing second to Hansle Parchment in Tokyo 2021. 

Holloway arrived in Paris undefeated this year indoors and outdoors and improved his own world indoor record in the 60 metres hurdles to 7.27 at the US Indoor Championships before winning the world indoor gold medal in Glasgow. Holloway won the US Olympic Trials title in 12.86 in Eugene last June. He clocked 13.01 in the heats and 12.98 in the semifinal at the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Grant Holloway: “It means the world for me. To complete the career Grand Slam is what I have been wanting. I am beside myself right now. I am so happy about everything going on. I knew I was in good shape. I knew I was capable of completing this feat. I have been hurdling so well this year. I am in great shape. I just want to keep this going. I am looking forward to what’s to come. The future is so bright”. 

Daniel Roberts completed a US double in 13.09 edging Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell by three thousandths of a second with the same time in a very close photo-finish. 

Enrique Llopis was the first European hurdler in fourth place in 13.20 beating this year’s Japanese champion Rachid Muratake (13.21) and Freddie Crittenden (13.32). Orlando Bennett and defending Olympic champion Hansle Parchment rounded out the final by finishing seventh in 13.34 and 13.39 respectively. 

Women’s long jump final: 

Tara Davis Woodhall won the Olympic gold medal with 7.10m one year after finishing second at the World Championships in Budapest. Defending Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo won the silver medal with 6.98m. Last year’s NCAA champion Jasmine Moore took third place with 6.96m. 

Moore took the early lead with 6.93m in the first round. Davis Woodhall moved into the lead with 7.05m in the second round. After a leap to 6.95m in the third round the US star improved to 7.10m in the fourth round. 

Davis Woodhall became only the fourth US athlete to win the Olympic gold medal in the women’s long jump after Jackie Joyner Kersee (1988), Brittney Reese (2012) and Tianna Bartoletta (2016). 

Mihambo jumped 6.95m in the third attempt before moving into silver medal position with 6.98m in round five 

Moore had a very consistent series which featured 6.92m, two jumps of 6.88m and 6.75m, claiming her second bronze medal following her third place in the triple jump. She became the second woman in Olympic history to win medals in both the long jump and the triple jump, joining Tatyana Lebedeva, who reached the podium in both events in Athens 2004. 

Davis Woodhall is unbeaten this year and has jumped beyond seven metres in every competition since February. 

Tara Davis Woodhall: “I have dreamed of this moment my entire life. I was four years old when I started track and field. I have been telling myself all year: 8-0-8. That’s the day that we win the Olympics. Having my husband, US Paralympian Hunter Woodhall with me means everything. We have worked so hard this season. I am so excited to come back for the Paralympics. I will be supporting him just like he here supported me. I just can’t wait. It will be very special”.  

European silver medallist Larissa Iapichino leapt to 6.87m in her second attempt. The daughter of two-time Olympic silver medallist Fiona May jumped four more times over the 6.70 metres barrier (6.78m, 6.83m, 6.78m and 6.85m). 

Ese Brume from Nigeria, Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, place fifth with 6.70m ahead of Monae Nichols (6.67m). 

Men’s javelin throw final: 

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won the men’s javelin throw setting the Asian record and the Olympic record with 92.97m on his second attempt. 

Defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra threw to 89.45m in the second round to win the silver medal. 

European champion Jakub Vadlejch went into third place with 88.50m in the third round, but two-time world champion Anderson Peeters overtook his Czech rival with 88.54m in the fourth attempt to move into bronze medal position. 

Arshad Nadeem: “Neeraj and I are on very good terms. Whenever we are abroad in training for an event, we always talk to each other, and stay in touch, but when it comes to competition, you only think of yourself. India is our neighbour. People on both sides say a lot of things about each other’s country, but this is what sport teaches us”. 

Women’s heptathlon: 

Katarina Johnson Thompson is the overnight leader of the women’s heptathlon with 4055 points ahead of Nafissatou Thiam (4007 points) and Anna Hall (3956 points). 

Johnson Thompson started the heptathlon competition with a seasonal best of 13.40 in the 100 metres hurdles and cleared 1.92m in her third attempt in the high jump, achieving her best mark since the World Championships in Doha 2019, where she won he world gold medal beating Nafissatou Thiam. 

Thiam started her title defense with 13.56, a faster time compared to the time of 13.74 she clocked when she won the European gold medal in Rome last June. The Belgian athlete cleared 1.92m in the high jump but she failed three attempts at 1.95m. 

Johnson Thompson led the overall standings after two events with 2197 points ahead of Thiam (2173 points) and world bronze medallist Anna Hall from the USA (2164 points) and Noor Vidts from Belgium (2125 points). Sophie Weissenberg from Germany injured her left leg warming up before the second 100 metres hurdles. 

World bronze medallist Anna Hall cleared 1.89m to move to third with 2164 points. 

Swiss record holder Annik Kaelin ran the fastest time in the 100 metres hurdles across the three heats with 12.86 and took seventh place with 2047 points after two events. 

Poland’s Adrianna Sulek won the first 100 metres hurdles heat in 13.32 exactly six months after giving birth to her first child. 

Thiam equalled her PB to 15.44m in the shot put to edge ahead of Thiam in first place in the overall standing with 3070 points. Johnson Thompson improved her PB to 14.44m to bring her tally to 3020 points. Hall threw the shot to 14.11m to rank third with 2965 points. 

Johnson Thompson ran the fastest time in the 200 metres with 23.44 to end the first day in the lead with 4055 points. The British athlete has a narrow lead of 46 points over Thiam, who set a seasonal best of 24.46. Hall clocked 23.89 and is in third place 99 points behind Johnson Thompson.

Katarina Johnson Thompson: “I am in really good 200m shape so that was really frustrating. I was aiming for as close to 23 metres as possible but it’s the hepthathlon. I was very tired at the end of the first day, so I will take it” 

Men’s 4x100 relay heats: 

The US team formed by Fred Kerley, Christian Coleman, Kyree King and Courtney Lindsey won the first heat in 37.47 to earn a spot in Friday’s men’s 4x100 relay final. The United States are seeking their first Olympic title in this event since Sydney 2000. 

South Africa (Bayanda Walaza, Shawn Masangwani, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine) finished second in 37.94. Great Britain (Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell Blake) qualified automatically in third place in 38.04 beating Japan (38.06) in a close photo-finish. 

Reigning Olympic champions Italy (Matteo Melluzzo, Marcel Jacobs, Eseosa Desalu and Flippo Tortu) finished fifth in 38.07 but their time was the fifth fastest across the two heats and they advanced as one of the non-automatic qualifiers. 

China (Zhjan Deng, Zhenye Xie, Haibin Yan and Jiapen Cheng) won the second heat in 38.24. France (Meba Mikael Zeze, Jeff Erius, Ryan Zeze and Pablo Mateo) advanced automatically in second place in 38.34 beating Canada (38.39). Jamaica did not get through in fourth place with 38.45 after uncertain exchanges between Jelani Walker and Jehlani Gordon and between Gordon an Olympic 100m silver medallist Kishane Thompson. 

Women’s 4x100 relay: 

Olympic 100m silver medallist and world champion Sha’Carri Richardson anchored the US team to win in the women’s 4x100 as the fastest qualifiers in 41.94. Richardson was a metre down on Rebekka Haase as she received the baton from 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, but she made up the deficit halfway down the finishing straight to pull away to a win ahead of the German team (Sophie Junk, Lisa Mayer) Gina Luckenkemper and Rebekka Haase), who advanced automatically in second place in 42.15. Olympic 100 metres Mujinga Kambundji anchored Switzerland to the third automatic qualifying spot in 42.38. 

The British quartet formed by Bianca Williams, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Desirée Henry won the second heat in 42.03 to qualify as the second fastest automatic qualifiers after a strong third leg by Amy Hunt. France finished second in 42.13. Jamaica earned the third automatic spot in 42.36. Canada, who set a national record of 42.50, and the Netherlands (42.64) got through to the final as the fastest non-automatic qualifiers. 

Women’s 1500 metres semifinals: 

Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji is the fastest qualifier in the women’s 1500 metres semifinal with 3:55.10 in the second heat beating Australia’s Jessica Hull (3:55.40), USA’ Nikki Hiltz (3:56.17), Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (3:56.41) and Kenya’s Susan Ejore (3:56.57). 

Faith Kipyegon won the first semifinal in 3:58.64 beating Great Britain’s Georga Bell (3:59.49), USA’s Elle St. Pierre (3:59.74), Great Britain’s Laura Muir (3:59.83). 

National records were set by France’s Agathe Guiilemot (3:56.69). Poland’s Weronika Lizakowka (3:57.31), Spain’s Marta Perez (3:75.75), Italy’s Sintayehu Vissa (3:58.11) and New Zealand’s Maia Ramsden (4:02.20), 

Women’s shot put qualifying round:

World indoor champion Sarah Mitton topped the women’s shot put qualifying round with 19.77m. New Zealand’s Maddison Lee Wesche was the second best qualifier with 19.25m. World indoor silver medallist Yemisi Ogunleye sealed the third automatic qualifying spot with 19.24m on her third attempt. Double European champion achieved the fourth best mark across the two pools with 18.92m. Two-time world champion Chase Jackson did not advance to the final, as she missed the cut by six spots with 17.60m. 

Women’s 100 metres hurdles repechage round: 

South Africa’s Marione Fourie ran the fastest qualifying time with 12.79 in the first heat beating Maakye Thin-A-Lim from the Netherlands (12.87). Lotta Harala from Finland won the second heat in 12.86 holding off Yumi Tanaka by 0.03. 

Ebony Morrison from Liberia advanced to the semifinal as winner of the second heat of the 100m hurdles repechage round in 12.82. Maribel Caicedo from Ecuador secured the second qualifying spot in 12.83 beating 2023 European indoor champion Reetta Hurske from Finland by two thousandths of a second. 

Men’s 800 metres repechage round: 

USA’s Brandon Miller ran the fastest qualifying time in the men’s 800 metres repechage round with 1:44.21 in the second heat. Mohamed Al Gouaned equalled his PB with 1:44.37 to finish second ahead of Tobias Gronstad (1:44.57 PB). 

Jesus Tonatiu Lopez from Mexico claimed the win in the second heat in 1:45.13 ahead of Spain’s Adrian Ben (1:45.37). Simone Barontini from Italy won the third heat in 1:45.56 beating Benjamin Robert from France (1:45.83).