Sydney McLaughlin broke the 400m hurdles world record for the fourth time in the past 13 months, clocking 50.68s to complete her trophy case with her first world championship gold medal in the event.
It broke its previous record of 51.14 from a month ago.
“We thought we could go a little faster [than 50.68]” he told NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson. “But we’re very grateful for this time. Anything under 51 was a win for us.”
As of June 2021, he lowered the world record from 52.16 to 50.68. She is nine-tenths faster than the second-fastest woman ever, compatriot Dalilah Muhammad, who took the bronze behind Femke Bol of the Netherlands in Eugene, Ore., on Friday.
McLaughlin, 22, became the second-youngest track and field athlete in history to hold the three greatest accolades in an individual event: Olympic gold, world title and world record. Only Ethiopian distance runner Kenenisa Bekele kept them at a younger age.
McLaughlin supplanted Usain Bolt as the second-youngest person to complete the triple in a matter of days.
McLaughlin also equaled Edwin Moses’ feat of breaking the 400m hurdles world record four times in one career, although it took Moses seven years to do so.
What’s next for McLaughlin? Likely a spot in Sunday’s women’s 4x400m relay final if the U.S. qualifies and wants to run one more time.
Then, perhaps, a change to the 400m plan. McLaughlin’s legendary coach Bob Kersee said he will eventually go to that event and chase that (37-year-old) world record, perhaps after this season, NBC Sports analyst Ato Boldon said last month.
“Bobby and I will come back after the season, we decide if that [400m hurdles] is it still an event that I even want to do, or if we’re going to find something else because I think we accomplished a lot,” McLaughlin said. “It could be [the flat 400m]. Everything is possible. Bobby will let me know. I follow what he says.”
The world championships continue on Saturday with six finals, including the 4x100m relay.
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Earlier Friday, Michael Norman became the first American man to win a world title in the 400 meters since LaShawn Merritt in 2013. Norman, the fastest 400-meter runner in the world in the last Olympic cycle but fifth in Tokyo, he won his first overall individual medal. It is the first time since 2007 that the US men have swept the 100m, 200m and 400m golds at an Olympic or World Games.
“A lot of relief right now,” Norman said. “It has been three extremely long years, a disappointment and a life lesson in Doha [2019 World Championships]COVID and then a slap in the face in Tokyo.”
Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas added her first world title to her two Olympic gold medals in the 400m, clocking 49.11 to edge Olympic silver medalist Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic by . 49. No Americans made it to the finals.
Kara Winger extended a historic meet for American women’s throwers, becoming the first American to win a medal at the world championships in the women’s javelin. The fullback, a 36-year-old who plans to retire after this season, moved from fifth to second in her sixth and final start. On Her Turf has more information on the women’s javelin here.
US Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu led the heats in Sunday’s 800m final. All of her main challengers also advanced out of the semifinals, including Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain and two Americans: Olympic bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers and two-time world bronze medalist Ajeé Wilson.
Both the US men’s and women’s 4x100m relays advanced to Saturday’s final. The men are favorites even without injured 100m gold medalist Fred Kerley. The women are underdogs from Jamaica, who swept the 100m medals.
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