Sydney McLaughlin - The Future
TRACK & FIELD - 400M HURDLES - TEAM USA
ARCHETYPE: THE FUTURE
Day 72/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Sydney McLaughlin is only 21 years old, and already a massively accomplished sprinter with one Olympic Games under her belt.
In high school, McLaughlin was a national standout in the 400m hurdles. She smashed youth records, and the Gatorade National Girls Athlete of the Year trophy for both 2015–16 and 2016–17. And that’s not even the most exciting part of it.
At 16, McLaughlin placed third at Olympic Trials, making the cut for the 2016 Rio Olympics. As opposed to other sports like gymnastics, for example, a sprinter’s prime age is not typically while they’re in their teens, so seeing McLaughlin perform at such an elite level while so young is extremely rare. In fact, she became the youngest athlete to make the Olympic track and field team in almost 40 years.
At the 2016 Olympics, McLaughlin placed fifth in the semi-final heat, failing to advance to the final but with so much promise for years to come.
In 2017, McLaughlin ran the 400m leg of in the indoor distance medley relay, breaking a world record with a time of 10:40.31. She also broke the 300m hurdles national high school record, her first time ever running that distance.
McLaughlin attended the University of Kentucky in 2017, where she was instantly one of the most dominant sprinters in the nation. In March of 2018, McLaughlin set the world junior 400m record (50.36) at 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. At the SEC Championships in May, she broke the collegiate and NCAA record in the 400m hurdles (52.75).
McLaughlin went pro in October of 2018, signing with New Balance. She has continued to perform at a world class level, winning silver at the 2019 World Championships, behind U.S. sprinter and world record holder Dalilah Muhammad. In that same year, she was the Diamond League champion in the 400m hurdles.
Character Archetype: The Future
In 2016, Sydney McLaughlin earned her spot as a 400m hurdle runner on the U.S. Olympic track and field team. At 16 years old, she was the youngest athlete make the U.S. track and field team in almost 40 years. The entire world marveled at this teenager who performed at such an elite level, so young. What promise. What possibility. What might her career look like?
Since the last Summer Games, McLaughlin turned professional, providing her access to the best coaches and competition, and allowing her to focus on track full-time. The results have been staggering. In 2019, she won the 400m hurdles silver medal at World Championships, and was the Diamond League champ. She has improved her time by over 2 seconds since the 2016 Olympics and is one of the most exciting prospects for this Summer’s Games.
Fast forward to 2021, and the world is still having the same conversation about the ever-impressive McLaughlin… What promise. What possibility. What might her career look like? And at just 21, McLaughlin still has a whole career—and this summer’s Olympic Games—ahead of her.