For years, McLaughlin-Levrone has dominated her sport, breaking multiple 400-meter hurdles world records and collecting Olympic and world titles. Now 26, she’s expanded her ambitions nearly setting the 400-meter world record at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, missing it by just 0.18 seconds.
That remarkable versatility has opened new possibilities. McLaughlin-Levrone told NBC News that she and coach Bobby Kersee have discussed “some sort of double,” possibly combining events like the 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, or even the 200 meters, depending on how the Olympic schedule allows for recovery time.
Since becoming the first woman to run the 400-meter hurdles under 51 seconds in 2022 a record she lowered to 50.37 at the Paris 2024 Olympics fans and analysts have speculated about her attempting a double. Her record since 2021 is astounding: 42 wins in 43 races across the 200m, 400m, and 400m hurdles, earning eight gold medals at major competitions, including relays.
McLaughlin-Levrone said her near-record performance in Tokyo has her eager to chase more milestones: “I’d love to run more 200s in the future… maybe dip under 22 seconds, and possibly return to the hurdles too.” She even joked somewhat seriously about trying the long jump, inspired by her mentor Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the American record holder and wife of her coach.
Her drive to improve her “personal scorecard” remains as strong as ever. She believes running under 50 seconds in the 400 hurdles is possible and still aims to break the 400-meter world record outright.
With no world championship in 2026, McLaughlin-Levrone has flexibility to target specific goals and compete in World Athletics’ new “Ultimate Championship” series for elite athletes.
However, her 2024 experience with Grand Slam Track, a startup league co-founded by Michael Johnson, showed the challenges of innovation in the sport. Despite her star power helping launch the league, financial troubles caused the cancellation of its final meet and millions in unpaid prize money.
When asked if she’d return for another season, McLaughlin-Levrone said she’d wait to see whether the league could provide lasting stability: “A lot of athletes loved the model, but sustainability is key. We’ll just have to see what that looks like before moving forward.”
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