Whatโs going on in track and field right now? Simply put: a new era is emerging, and records are falling fast. Teenage talent is rewriting history, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levroneโs legendary legacy is suddenly under fire not from Olympic veterans, but from rising stars still in high school and college.
Just a week ago, McLaughlin-Levroneโs NCAA record was broken. Now, another of her marks has been erased this time, by a high schooler in a moment straight out of a movie script. And if anyone saw it coming, maybe it was Sydney herself, who once said, โRecords come and goโฆโ Well, one just did.
On June 21 at the New Balance Nationals, the spotlight was on the 400-meter dash. Under the lights, with tension thick in the air, 17-year-old Natalie Dumas from Eastern Regional High School in New Jersey made history. Facing heavy competition, including Bullis School standout Sydney Sutton, Dumas gave everything even diving at the finish line. The result? A jaw-dropping time of 51.14 seconds.
That split-second dive didnโt just win the race it shattered two records: the New Jersey state record once held by four-time Olympic gold medalist McLaughlin-Levrone (51.87), and the New Balance meet record of 52.41, set by Adaejah Hodge.
Lying on the track afterward, Dumas couldnโt believe what sheโd done. โI honestly thought I was in second place,โ she said. โThis is the biggest race Iโve ever run. When I saw the time, I was in disbelief.โ
And this was just her second win at the meet. A day earlier, Dumas won the 400m hurdles in 55.99 the sixth-fastest time in U.S. high school history bringing her total to four national titles. But the 400m sprint meant the most. After tying McLaughlin-Levroneโs record in May, Dumas now owns it outright. Her 51.14 is the No. 9 time in U.S. high school history and the fastest U20 time in the world this year. Sutton wasnโt far behind with 51.23 now 10th all-time.
Dumas broke it down clearly: โI started the race the way I wanted that first 200 meters set up the last 200. It was perfect.โ Reflecting on the result, she added, โThe fact I was so close to 50 seconds… Iโm shocked. I feel like I can hit 50 with fresh legs.โ
But Dumas isnโt the only one making headlines. A week earlier, at the NCAA Championships on June 14, Savannah Sutherland lit up Hayward Field. The Canadian phenom stormed to a 52.46 in the 400m hurdles smashing McLaughlin-Levroneโs collegiate record of 52.75 set seven years ago. Sutherlandโs time didnโt just win her the national title it placed her 9th on the world all-time list and made her the fastest Canadian ever.
Already a finalist for the Paris Olympics, Sutherlandโs dominance was clear. She cruised through the semis with a huge gap and took control early in the final. โWhen the crowd started cheering, I didnโt know if I was flying or being caught. I just let it push me,โ she said. The run cemented her as a top global contender.
What ties Dumas and Sutherland together isnโt just their record-breaking times itโs their pursuit of a nearly untouchable standard. Both are chasing the bar set by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. And with her NCAA and state records now gone, the torch is beginning to pass even as her world-best 50.37 in the 400m hurdles remains untouched.
Sydney once said, โRecords come and go. The glory of God is eternal.โ And perhaps she always knew this day would come where two young stars, in just seven days, would chip away at her legendary reign.
Sheโs still the GOAT but the next generation isnโt just inspired by her.
Theyโre running straight into her lane.
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