Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone demonstrated her early season form by clocking an impressive wind-aided 22.38 seconds (+2.9 m/s) to win the women’s 200m at the 2024 Oxy Invitational in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday.
McLaughlin-Levrone, who has not yet confirmed whether she will defend her 400m hurdles titles or compete in the open 400m dash at the Paris 2024 Olympics, dominated her rivals in the first heat, finishing almost a full second ahead of her closest challenger, American Morolake Akinosun.
Her time, although wind-aided, is slightly quicker than her wind-legal personal best of 22.39 seconds, set in 2018 while she was still running as a junior track and field athlete at the University of Kentucky.
The New Balance athlete also won the 100m hurdles, clocking in at 12.71 seconds (-0.4) to secure the double.
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Meanwhile, in Saturday’s race, Akinosun finished second with a time of 23.26 seconds, followed by Sariyah Copeland, a Fresno Pacific junior, at 23.45, and Chloe Abbott, at 23.61.
McLaughlin-Levrone, who opened her season with a 4x100m relay leg as part of the Formula Kersee quartet at the 2024 Mt. Sac Relays last month, was competing for the first time this season in an individual event and looked superb.
Reports suggest that the 24-year-old is considering switching events to the 400m dash in Paris, instead of continue racing in her specialty 400m hurdles, an event she has dominated for the last three years and in which she holds the world record at 50.68 seconds.
Michael Norman, meanwhile, won the men’s 400m with a fast 44.21 seconds, beginning his Paris 2024 Olympic campaign by breaking the 23-year-old meet and stadium record of 44.28 seconds, set in 2001 by Tyree Washington.
Johnnie Blockburger of USC posted 45.20 seconds for second place, while 800m specialist Isaiah Jewett ran 45.50 seconds for third place.
Elsewhere, USA sprinter Jenna Prandini secured the top spot in the women’s 100m, posting 11.25 secs to beat Jamaica’s Biana Williams, who clocked 11.54 secs. Spint hurdler Kendra Harrison of USA was just behind in a time of 11.55 secs.
