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Who is Sydney McLaughlin dating? Athlete shatters hurdles world record at Olympic trials

Sydney McLaughlin recorded a time of 51.90 seconds, becoming the first woman to break the 52-second barrier

Hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record in the women's 400-meter hurdles on Sunday night, June 27, and qualified for her second Olympic Games during the final day of the US Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon.

The 21-year-old athlete recorded a time of 51.90 seconds, becoming the first woman to break the 52-second barrier. Dalilah Muhammad, who finished second, was previously the record holder at 52.16 seconds.

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McLaughlin said in a post-race interview "trusting the process" was the reason for this victory. She further said, "A lot of things you really can't see coming, but just having that childlike faith and just trusting that everything's going to work out. Bobby's [her coach, Bob Kersee] really good at that, and I'm really happy that I chose to go with him."

In 2016, McLaughlin, then just 16, was the youngest American on the Olympic track and field team. She was placed fifth in her semifinal in Rio but did not make the final.

McLaughlin’s world record was highly praised online. Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho wrote, “Sydney McLaughlin (@GoSydGo), just SMASHED the women’s world record in the 400m Hurdles. The first *ever* under 52 seconds! Simply amazing!”

“What an incredible race,” wrote the Twitter account for Fast Women. “Sydney McLaughlin sets a WORLD RECORD in the 400m hurdles, running 51.90. Dalilah Muhammad has her best race of the season by far, after coming back from having Covid, and runs 52.42. And collegian Anna Cockrell (3rd, 53.70) makes the Olympic team!” Author and performance coach Steve Magness said, “How fast is the 51.90 for 400m hurdles that Sydney McLaughlin just ran? Beyond a world record, running 51.9 for the flat 400 was good enough to qualify for the Olympic trials in that event.”

Who is Sydney McLaughlin dating? 

Several websites note that the star athlete is currently dating Andre Levrone Jr. And neither she nor her boyfriend keeps it a secret on their social media. Levrone, who was undrafted out of college but was signed by the Baltimore Ravens, spent parts of three seasons with Baltimore, Carolina, and Jacksonville before retiring at the age of 25 in 2020.

McLaughlin’s Instagram Stories often feature Levrone, a former NFL wide receiver. In fact, one of her Highlights features a collection of several cutesy moments the two shared — from birthdays to dates, to Levrone massaging her feet after a race. Back in April, she also shared an Instagram post of the two, captioned: “but when he loves me”. Levrone too has shared several photos of the two. Both have often spoken about their deep religiosity and Christian faith. 

In a 2016 interview, McLaughlin had told Catholic News Agency, “Something like track is a very mental sport. There’s a lot of pressure and there’s a lot of expectation put on you. Sticking to what I know and believing that everything I’ve been given comes from God definitely played a big role for me." Levrone's Instagram is also filled with religious quotes and posts.