Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone going for repeat gold in women’s 400m hurdles

The GIST: Clear your cal for 3:25 p.m. ET, because an epic showdown is about to hit the purple track of Stade de France — American hurdler and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will take on her rival, Femke Bol of the Netherlands, in one of the Games’ most difficult races. On your mark, get set, let’s go.

McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance is nearly unmatched: The 24-year-old holds four of the five fastest times in the 400m hurdles, most recently breaking her own world record at the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials with a 50.65s finish.

• That time was faster than all of McLaughlin-Levrone’s semis competitors’ 400m personal records — ran without hurdles. Her speed, stride, and execution are practically untouchable.

But Bol is coming for the American legend: McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol have only raced against each other twice: Once at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and then at the 2022 world championships, with McLaughlin-Levrone winning both times.

• However, Bol has only improved in recent years, winning the 2023 world championship in the event (a race McLaughlin-Levrone notably did not compete in).

• For some added fire, these two are the only women to ever run sub-51 seconds in the 400m hurdles after Bol clocked in at 50.95 last month.

• As McLaughlin-Levrone recently said, “iron sharpens iron” — records will almost certainly fall when the two best women hurdlers in the world meet later today. History is happening here.