ATLANTA — Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin Levrone ramped up preparations for a title defence at this year’s Paris Games by running a world-leading time of 52.70 seconds in her first 400 metres hurdles race in over a year.
Levrone, the world record holder in the 400 hurdles, last competed in the event in August 2022.
The 24-year-old American displayed no signs of rust at the Edwin Moses Classic in Atlanta, as she effortlessly surged past her competitors to better Jamaican Rushell Clayton’s previous season-leading mark of 53.72 by over a second.
“It’s a progression, you know. Shaking the rust off after two years – I’ll take a 52.7,” Levrone said after the race according to Reuters.
“There are things to work on and I haven’t had much hurdle practice, so there’s things to improve.”
“I love racing and I love Europe, but I think in a year like this and coming back from injury last year I just wanted to be safe,” Levrone added according to AFP.
Levrone, who missed last year’s World Championships due to a knee injury, has been competing entirely in the United States in the build-up to this month’s US Olympic Team Trials.
“Travel can take a lot out of the body, and hopefully I can get some more races, but I’m just playing it safe until I get to trials.”
While McLaughlin-Levrone’s winning time was well outside her world record of 50.68 set at the 2022 World Championships, the American was more than happy with her performance.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen ensured a raucous end to a thrilling Diamond League meeting in front of his home fans in Oslo by hurling himself over the line to snatch victory in the men’s 1 500m.
A more dramatic finish to the thrilling schedule could not have been better scripted on a night of shocks that saw five other reigning Olympic champions – including Ingebrigtsen’s Norwegian teammate Karsten Warholm – upstaged.
Akani Simbine of South Africa, meanwhile, sprinted to victory in the men’s 100m in 9.94 seconds, just off the season’s fastest time of 9.93 set by Americans Christian Miller and Kendal Williams.
Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown was second in 9.99 while Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon ran 10.01 for third.
Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs was fourth in 10.03, while Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, who cracked the 10-second barrier for the first time in his career five days earlier, suffered an injury when leading mid-race and limped to the finish line.
American Brittany Brown won the women’s 200m, clocking 22.32 out of lane 8, while world champion Shericka Jackson’s early-season struggles continued.
Jamaica’s Jackson, the second fastest woman ever over the distance, finished fifth in 22.97, well off the 21.41 she clocked last season and slightly slower than her season-opener two weeks ago.
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the men’s 400m in 44.07 — second fastest in the world this season — to break his own European record.
“The time didn’t matter in a way as I care about victories rather than times and preparing for the Olympics,” he said ahead of the Paris Games starting on July 26 according to AFP.
“At the end of the day times are temporary but medals are forever. I really want to come away from Paris with a medal,” added Hudson-Smith, who ran with his race bib upside down.
“I did not even realise my number was upside down tonight — maybe that will be my lucky charm going forward,” he said.
Georgia Griffith surged into the lead with 100m to go to win the women’s 3,000m, shaving a huge 13 seconds off her previous best time to cross in an Australian record 8:24.20.
“I’m quite new to 3000, I do a lot of 1500s so I usually die in the latter parts but today I kicked really well and finished strong,” Griffith said. “I got lucky. I really like this race but the 1500 is my main event.”
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