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Aug 4, 2021 - Sports

Sydney McLaughlin sets world record to win Olympic gold in 400m hurdles

Anya van Wagtendonk
USA's Sydney Mclaughlin (C) wins the women's 400m hurdles final setting a new world record during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4

Team USA's Sydney Mclaughlin (C) wins the women's 400m hurdles final setting a new world record during the Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. hurdler Sydney McLaughlin clinched an Olympic gold medal in the women's 400m hurdles final at the 2020 Tokyo Games — breaking her own world record to finishing in 51.46 seconds on Wednesday morning local time.

The big picture: McLaughlin edged into silver teammate Dalilah Muhammad, who was defending her own gold from the 2016 Rio Games. The Netherlands' Femke Bol took Bronze.

  • McLaughlin was the first woman to break 52 seconds in this event, at the U.S. trials in July.
  • Along with McLaughlin and Muhammad, a third American, Anna Cockrell, was in the race, after all advanced from a rainy semifinal race on Monday.
  • But Cockrell was disqualified for apparently running outside of her lane.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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