American monitor star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will compete in her fourth meet of the season on Saturday in Los Angeles, matching the full variety of races she ran final yr. Forward of the race, McLaughlin-Levrone and her coach, Bobby Kersee, addressed her coaching focus for the 2024 Paris Olympics, stating that her plans are solely to run the 400m hurdles on the U.S. Olympic Monitor and Subject Trials subsequent month, returning to her signature occasion after racing the flat 400m in an injury-shortened 2023.
NEWS: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone plans to concentrate on the 400m hurdles on the U.S. Olympic Trials, in line with Coach Bobby Kersee and first reported by @NBCSports.
The defending Olympic champion didn’t race the 400m hurdles final yr and received the U.S. title within the 400m in 48.74. pic.twitter.com/UQcPvEWdd9
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) Could 17, 2024
Kersee confirmed Friday that McLaughlin-Levrone’s plans for U.S. Trials is to stay to the 400m hurdles, which happen June 21-30 in Eugene, Ore. The highest three finishers in every occasion (if they’ve the usual) will make Staff U.S.A. for Paris. When Kersee was requested what went into the choice, he stated: “That’s her predominant occasion. That’s what we need to defend our Olympic championship in.”
“I feel Sydney’s love is the 400m hurdles, and in order that’s the number-one occasion,” Kersee advised NBC Sports activities. “My job is to guarantee that she will get prepared for the one which she needs to do probably the most.”
McLaughlin-Levrone received the 400m hurdles on the Tokyo Olympics and lowered the world report on 4 separate events between 2021 and 2022, bringing it down from 52.16 seconds to 50.68. After the 2022 season, McLaughlin-Levrone stated she wished to broaden to the flat 400m to see what was attainable in that occasion, whereas not giving up the 400m hurdles.
The 24-year-old didn’t contest the 400m hurdles in 2023. McLaughlin-Levrone received the U.S. title within the flat 400m final July in 48.74 seconds, the world’s quickest time final yr, and the second-fastest time in American historical past. She deliberate to race the flat 400m on the world championships in August, then introduced her withdrawal eight days earlier than the occasion, as a result of a small tear in her left knee that led to patella points and tendonitis.
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In McLaughlin-Levrone’s absence, Femke Bol of the Netherlands received the 400m hurdles occasion in Budapest final August in 51.70 seconds. Bol is the second-fastest lady in historical past within the occasion, with a private better of 51.45. The 400m hurdles last might be the primary matchup between Bol and McLaughlin-Levrone because the world report was final damaged, on the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
McLaughlin-Levrone has already raced 3 times this season in occasions outdoors the hurdles, and is on the entry checklist for the 200m on the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on Saturday, the place she is going to face her U.S. teammate, Gabby Thomas.
Kersee additionally stated that McLaughlin-Levrone, if she qualifies for the Olympics and is wholesome in Paris, will even be out there to run the mixed-gender 4x400m relay (last Aug. 3) and the ladies’s 4x400m relay (last Aug. 10).
