McLaughlin-Levrone Outruns Two World Champions To Smash Championship Record And Pull Within Reach Of World Record

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Logan Hannigan-Downs Photos

INTERVIEWS

TOKYO – Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone took on a new challenge this year when she decided to focus her attention on the flat 400 meters. After all, what was there left to do in the hurdles?

On Thursday night in Tokyo, McLaughlin-Levrone proved that she is one of the most versatile track athletes of all-time by becoming world champion in a second event and running faster than any woman since 1985.

McLaughlin broke the tape at 47.78 seconds, a stunning time that put her within arm’s reach of one of the most unassailable, and suspect, world records. She lowered her own personal best and American record, set two days ago, but more than half a second.

“I knew the strength was there. Especially after that semi, I knew there was more in the tank,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “It was really about staying composed. I knew it was going to be a battle down the homestretch.”

McLaughlin ran her 100 splits in 11.71, 11.24, 11.92 and 12.91 on the way to the championship meet record.

Only East German Marita Koch, a central figure in a state-sponsored doping regime, has run faster: 47.60. In the 40 years since, no other woman had gone under 48 seconds.

McLaughlin-Levrone was pushed all the way to the line by the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who also crashed through the barrier with 47.98 for second. Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain was third in 48.19.

That’s three of the nine fastest performances of all-time came in Thursday’s final.

McLaughlin-Levrone is now the best in the world in two events. She already has broken the world record in the 400-meter hurdles six times and the flat 400, with its tainted record, held allure.

‘I know there was a lot of doubt from a lot of people over making the switch and I just wanted to show myself I could do it,” she said.

The finalists in the women’s 400 waited at their starting blocks for nearly 10 minutes as the final six attempts of the women’s triple jump wrapped up so that the race could receive the stadium’s full attention.

Along with Mondo Duplantis’ world record in the pole vault, the women’s 400 meters final is the top moment of the World Championships so far, with six of nine days complete.

In the men’s 400 meters, Busand Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana ran a world-leading time of 43.53 seconds to win the gold medal and teammate Bayapo Ndori took bronze with 44.20. Sandwiched between them, Jereem Richards broke the Trinidadian national record for silver with 43.72.

American champion Jacory Patterson finished seventh in 44.70.

Curtis Thompson Earns Bronze In Men's Javelin

The second medal claimed by the United States on Day 6 at the World Athletics Championships came courtesy of another New Jersey native. 

Curtis Thompson, who has carried the torch for the U.S. in the men's javelin for years, came into the meet ranked 10th in the world and took the bronze medal. 

Thompson came out of the gate hot, throwing 86.67m on his first attempt to take an early lead. 

Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad & Tobago won his first global title since the 2012 Olympics when he took over the lead in the fourth round with 88.16m. 

Anderson Peters of Grenada was the first to go past Thompson, with 87.38m in the second round. That held up for the silver. 

Thompson became the first American man to medal in the javelin since Breaux Greer took bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. 

Cuba's Leyanis Perez-Hernandez Wins Triple Jump

With the three longest jumps of the competition, Cuban Leyanis Perez-Hernandez was able to win the gold and defeat four-time world champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela. 

Perez-Hernandez won with 14.94m and also had a second measurement of the same distance. 

Thea Lafond of Dominica, who grew up in Maryland and competed collegiately for the University of Maryland, came up with a big sixth round jump of 14.89m to break a tie with Rojas and move into the silver medal position. 

Lafond, who won the Olympic gold last year in Paris, won Dominica's first World Championships medal. 

Rojas, who returned after 17 months of recovery from a torn Achilles' tendon, made the podium in her return to the sport with 14.76m.

American Jasmine Moore finished seventh. 

Lyles Blasts 19.51 In 200 Semis

Noah Lyles said he may a price for running so hard in the semifinals the next time he is on a massage table, but he was certainly able to deliver a message with a dominant performance. 

Lyles said he wanted to come off the turn in the lead and run the first 100 meters in 10.2. After seeing 19.51 on the clock, he felt pretty confident he had accomplished the mission. 

It was Lyles' fifth-fastest 200 meters ever, a world lead, and the 15th fastest ever run. 

Kenneth Bednarek qualified for the 200 by winning his semifinal in a more conservative 19.88. 

Jamaica's Bryan Levell ran 19.78 for an impressive run in the second semifinal heat and Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo finished behind him in 19.95. 

In the women's 200 meters, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica (21.99), Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (22.00) and Anavia Battle (22.09) were the semifinal winners. 

The U.S. will have four in the women's final, with Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long both making the cut. 

Donavan Brazier, Bryce Hoppel Eliminated In 800

It was a rough semifinal round for the Americans in the 800 meters as neither Donavan Brazier nor Bryce Hoppel was able to get a qualifying spot in the final. 

Brazier finished third in his heat in 1:43.82 but missed advancing by .02 seconds. Hoppel, likewise, was third in his heat in 1:43.92.

Cian McPhillips of Ireland ran a national record time of 1:43.18 to lead the list of finalists. 

Canada's Marco Arop advanced after winning the first semifinal. 

In the women's 800 meters first round, Sage Hurta-Klecker and Maggi Congdon both advanced safely, but Roisin Willis of Stanford was eliminated.

Australia's Jessica Hull, who tripped and fell and finished seventh in her heat was put back into the semifinal after her team filed a protest. 

In the women's 5,000 meters, Shelby Houlihan made her return to an international championship after serving a four-year ban and advanced to the final, along with Josette Andrews. Third American Elise Cranny did not make it through. 

In women's high jump qualifying, Americans Vashti Cunningham, Emma Gates and Sanaa Barnes were unable to make it to the final.