Sydney McLaughlin returned after the final set of hurdles to win 400m hurdles gold in Tokyo on Wednesday, breaking her own world record from the US Trials in 51.46 to replace teammate and former world record holder Delilah Muhammad as Olympic champion. removed in.
Reigning world champion Muhammad won the silver medal with a personal best of 51.58.
Rising star Femke Boll of the Netherlands, who is already the fourth fastest of all time, took bronze in 52.03.
After finishing second after a pair of Muhammad’s world record-breaking races at the 2019 US Championships and World Championships, McLaughlin finally responded with a 51.90 at the 2021 US Olympic Trials, going sub-52. She became the first 400 meter hurdler. .
She made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games as a 17-year-old prodigy, becoming the youngest American track and field Olympian in 44 years, but was eliminated early in the semifinals.
After finishing high school, she attended the University of Kentucky and then turned pro.
The 2004 Olympic 100 m hurdles champion, previously under coach Joanna Hayes, won the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships behind Muhammad.
But earlier this year she announced she would be turning coach Bobby Kersey, husband of six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner—Kersee and Alison Felix’s longtime coach.
After a 2021 season with several high hurdles, possibly chosen by Kersee to outpace McLaughlin’s pace, he did not run his first 400m hurdles until early June.
The men’s event gold medalist, Norwegian Karsten Warholm, also broke his own world record on Tuesday, with a time of 45.94 to win the final, a personal best by almost the entire field.
McLaughlin and Muhammad could both be selected to compete on the US women’s 4x400m relay team.