Sydney McLaughlin-Levron's mind-boggling feat as she shatters 400m hurdles world record

The 400m women's hurdles final was meant to be a showdown between the two fastest female 400m hurdlers to have ever lived - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol. But on Friday (AEDT) it turned out to be a race between McLaughlin-Levrone and the clock in the Paris Olympics final.

McLaughlin-Levrone arrived in Paris as the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s 400m hurdles but Bol had made huge strides while the American star was sidelined. The Dutch woman claimed World Championship gold last year and put the US track star on notice ahead of the Olympics with some scintillating runs.

Earlier this year McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400m hurdles world record for a staggering fifth time since 2021 and it was followed up by her Dutch rival becoming the only other 400m hurdler to crack the 51-second barrier. Despite the pair's dominance, they hadn't raced against each other in more than two years, and with Olympic gold on the line, spectators were anticipating a fierce and competitive battle.

In the final McLaughlin-Levrone got out to a flyer but Bol started to pick her up at the halfway mark before the American track star careered away the in the final 100m to clock a staggering 50.37. That time recorded was so fast it was some 0.28 seconds quicker than the world record she already held as she finished well over a second ahead of fellow American Anna Cockrell (51.87) in second place and a tiring Bol (52.15) in third.

The visual dominance on the track was backed up by the time. The time comparison to the women's 400m semi-final showed just how mind-boggling her run was.

McLaughlin-Levrone ran a faster time on Friday than two-thirds (16 of 24) of the women who competed the previous night in the Olympic open 400 semifinals - a race where competitors don't have to jump 10 hurdles. The win also extended her period of dominance in her favourite race.

The American hasn't lost a 400m hurdles race since July 2019, a streak of 25 consecutive races. And her performance in Paris showed she is still on the upward trajectory, with sports fans losing their collective minds over what they just witnessed.

Femke Bol says she screwed up in 400m hurdles final

In the final Bol surged up to McLaughlin-Levron at the halfway point and it looked like athletics fans were in for the match race they came to see. But Bol faded in the last 100m as Cockrell finished strongly to take the silver, while the Dutch woman gave everything to grip on to third.

After the race, a visibly disappointed Bol said she screwed her race up but didn't know exactly where. "All you want to do in an Olympic final is to put up your best race and I screwed it up," said Bol, who anchored the Dutch squad to a dramatic gold in the 4x400m mixed relay earlier in the Paris program.

"I'm not sure where I made the mistake. "I just got so much lactic acid with 300m to go."