Sydney McLaughlin breaks 400m hurdles world record: Details here
Star athlete Sydney McLaughlin has set a world record in the women's 400m hurdles at the US Olympic trials. She clocked 51.90sec after a thrilling battle with rival Dalilah Muhammad. The 21-year-old became the first woman ever to duck below the 52-second barrier. She mastered the race against reigning Olympic and world champion Muhammad. Here are further details.
The race at Hayward Field took place after a delay of several hours as a record heatwave swept across Eugene in triple-digit temperatures. This forced the afternoon finals to be moved to the evening. As per reports, the delay did not appear to have adversely impacted either McLaughlin or Muhammad, who quickly moved away from the rest of the field after going out fast.
Muhammad finished second, taking 52.42 seconds. Notably, Muhammad held the previous world record of 52.16sec following her win over McLaughlin at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Anna Cockrell claimed the third qualifying spot in 53.70sec. She tweeted, "I am an Olympian," after the race.
In another event, Noah Lyles won the men's 200m in a world-leading 19.74secs. Lyles finished ahead of Kenny Bednarek (19.78secs), with 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton third in 19.84secs. Lyles said he let his body do what it does. "I relaxed," said Lyles. "I let my body do what it does. I know I was asking for a lot."
McLaughlin claimed second place in 400m hurdles at the 2019 Doha World Championships. She also claimed the gold in the 4*400m relay. Previously, at the 2015 World Youth Championships, she won the gold in 400m hurdles.
