Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone arrived at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene with a bold declaration of intent. The Olympic champion, better known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, announced that she would abandon the barriers this season and commit fully to the flat 400 meters. “This is a challenge — I want to challenge myself, I felt like this year, I wanted to step out of the box and really push myself in a different way,” she explained after claiming the national title. Her 48.90-second run secured the gold medal and hinted that the American record of 48.70, untouched since 2006 (set by US sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross at the IAAF World Cup in Athens), might finally be under threat. Yet the celebrations were brief.

Only weeks later, her greatest rival delivered a perf

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