Sydney McLaughlin reacts after setting a new world record in the finals of the women's 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
By Eddie Pells
Sydney McLaughlin looked to her left and saw the numbers “51.90.” Her first thought: “Oh my gosh!”
Now, at long last, the 400-meter hurdles world record belongs to her.
On Sunday night at U.S. Olympic track trials, McLaughlin finally outraced Dalilah Muhammad to earn the victory, and the record, that Muhammad kept grabbing whenever they met. McLaughlin's 51.90 was good enough to beat Muhammad by 0.52 seconds. It shattered Muhammad's old world record by 0.26.
“It's one of those moments you think about and dream about and play in your head that you'll put it together," said McLaughlin, who not long ago aligned with coach Bobby Kersee.
Sydney McLaughlin sets a new world record in the finals of the women's 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Eugene, Ore.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Her record was the highlight of a day that included other kinds of history.
Noah Lyles won the 200 meters to punch his Olympic ticket, then celebrated by kneeling on the track and clasping his hands together: “I just stopped stressing and let my body do what it does,” he said after posting a world-leading time of 19.74 that came on the heels of some lackluster runs through the 100 and 200 rounds.
He shared the spotlight with 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton, whose third-place finish makes him the youngest male member of the U.S. Olympic track team since Jim Ryun in 1964.
JuVaughn Harrison, a 22-year-old from LSU, won not one, but two titles on the same day to become the first American to make the Olympics in both the high jump and the long jump since Jim Thorpe in 1912.
“That’s a lot of years for somebody not to do it,” Harrison said. "It’s really good for me to have my name in history like that.”
It's an amazing enough feat on a normal day. On this day — unbelievable.
Temperatures at Hayward Field reached 108 degrees and the surface of the track exceeded 150.
It forced USA Track and Field to put a halt to the action at about 3 p.m., shortly after heptathlete Taliyah Brooks was being carted off the track in a wheelchair. Brooks was in fourth place when she went down during javelin warmups. She did not make it back, and when the competition resumed some five hours later, Annie Kunz got the win.
Taliyah Brooks is helped off track after collapsing during the heptathlon at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Eugene, Ore. Events were suspended due to high temperatures. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Much earlier in the day, Paul Chelimo won by .19 seconds in a sprint to the finish in the men's 5,000, which had been moved to the morning to beat the heat. Much later on the track, Athing Mu won the women's 800 and Cole Hocker edged reigning Olympic champion Matt Centrowitz in the 1,500.
McLaughlin's race was delayed by about four hours. She said the wait “was a little bit of a throw in our plan.”
“But we were prepared for that,” she said. “Bobby always talks about Muhammad Ali, and always having to be ready for that left hook.”
In this case, it was another Muhammad — Dalilah Muhammad — who has, in her own way, been preparing McLaughlin for this day.
This marked the third straight major race in which the two squared off and a world record was set. The last two times, it was Muhammad who came out on top. It happened first two years ago on a rainy day in Des Moines, Iowa, at national championships. Then again, a few months after that at worlds in Qatar. McLaughlin ran a 52.23 at worlds, but lost by .07 seconds. That mark would have been the world record had she run it before Muhammad started rewriting the book that season.
Shamier Little, right, wins a semi-final in the women's 400-meter hurdles ahead of Dalilah Muhammad at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
“Dalilah is a great competitor, and I was growing into my own person,” McLaughlin explained when asked if she was deflated after running such good times, only to come in second.
She also credited a renewed sense of faith and, of course, Kersee, for this breakthrough.
Kersee is the legend who has, over the years, squeezed the most out of some of the greatest in the sport, including Allyson Felix, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Florence Griffith Joyner.
He put McLaughlin on a new plan — getting her focused on improving her form by running shorter hurdles courses.
“It was trusting the process, and a lot of things you can’t really see coming,” McLaughlin said. “But just having the childlike faith in trusting everything is going to work out. Bobby’s really good at that.”
Muhammad said getting to the starting line in this, a year that started with injuries and a COVID-19 scare, was never a sure thing. She said she couldn't break 55 seconds to start the season.
“Almost for a month straight, I kept asking (my coach) every day at practice, ‘Are you sure. Are you sure?’” Muhammad said. "I’m extremely grateful to be here today, and so thankful those setbacks are behind me.”
Up next is the Olympics. The finals in the 400 hurdles are set for Aug. 4. The world record in this event is always in jeopardy.
“She definitely pushes me,” Muhammad said during her interview on the track. Then, she turned to McLaughlin and said: “Congratulations, you world-record holder. It's going to be a battle in Tokyo for sure.”
The Golden State Warriors a new affiliate company called Golden State Entertainment to create sports-related original content, documentaries, and musical collaborations. David Kelly, chief business officer, joined Cheddar News to discuss “We think it's a great time to step off into this area. I think the better question maybe is why this hasn’t been formed previously?” he said. "There's a lot of synergies between sports, music, and film, and so we think that the timing is right to bring those worlds together into this venture." He noted that projects aren't limited to Warriors-only content, pointing to the documentary "38 at the Garden," about former New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin.
Sean Zerillo, Senior Writer for Action Network and co-host of the MLB podcast "Payoff Pitch" joins Cheddar Bets to discuss why under have been a lucrative bet for him so far, and how he's adjusting his strategies moving forward.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Michael Jenkins, host of 'The Daily Tip', joins Cheddar Bets to break down each game in the NBA Playoffs tonight and why not to take the bait on the Grizzlies-Timberwolves point total.
Sponsored by BetMGM
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille and tennis star Sloane Stephens joined Cheddar News to talk about their partnership with the Icy Hot Squad, a team of athletes from varying sports who embody the challenges of overcoming pain in athletics. The endeavor also supports the Comebaq Courts initiative to help young athletes return to playing after getting hurt. While both Shaq and Stephens talked about taking on the challenge of helping with pain management, one challenge the intimidating former NBA center noted that he won't be facing is space tourism. "Let me think about it — hell naw. I'm good right here where I'm at," he quickly responded when asked about taking a Blue Origin flight.
Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic Gold Medal-winning snowboarder, and her dog Reece are teaming up with Purina for its Pro Plan Million Mile Challenge to donate to Athletes for Animals.
The olympian joined Cheddar News to talk about her about the mental health challenges athletes face, her snowboarding career, and the Purina partnership to raise money for responsible pet ownership. "It’s an exciting way to encourage pet owners to get up and get active with their companion," she said. Kim also stated that the plan is for her to compete in the 2026 Olympic Games in Milano Cortina after taking some time off.
The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing a communications breakdown that led police to think an aircraft carrying military parachutists for a baseball stadium stunt was “a probable threat.”
As U.S. cities and airlines are weighing COVID-19 protocols like mask and vaccine mandates, Canada continues to ban travelers who are not fully vaccinated -- including professional athletes. The MLB season is now underway, and the Toronto Raptors have advanced to the NBA playoffs, so several athletes are expected to not participate in upcoming games in Canada. Gabe Lacques, MLB reporters and Baseball Editor for USA Today Sports, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to dsicuss.
Nike introduced the Vaporfly in the 2016 Olympics to Nike-sponsored athletes, three of whom took the top spots in marathon events. Since then, the shoe has been the weapon of choice of elite athletes like those competing in the 2022 Boston Marathon. Why? Because Nike designed the shoe to literally make you faster. To not wear the Vaporfly has become a disadvantage. So how exactly does this shoe increase speeds and should it even be allowed in competition?
Christine Moore, a celebrity hat designer and featured milliner for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, joined Cheddar News to talk about how her headwear became a staple of race day fashion and what Derby watchers can come to expect at this year's horse racing event. “It's always go big or go home," she said. "And it's also very Southern belle style for the first leg of the triple crown, which is the Kentucky Derby." The race will be held on Saturday, May 7.
