With hurdles removed, McLaughlin-Levrone tackles new race and maybe even a 40

TOKYO (AP) — On the hallowed list of world records in track and field, most marks are, indeed, made to be broken. Others are perched there, seemingly set in stone, beckoning all comers to dream of knocking off a Usain Bolt or Florence Griffith-Joyner and becoming one of those instantly recognizable names themselves.

Then there is this one: The women’s 400 meters. Marita Koch, East Germany, 47.60 seconds. Oct. 6, 1985.

As the 40th anniversary of that Communist-era record nears, the tantalizing prospect of it being broken rests in the talents of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a once-in-a-lifetime talent with a penchant for breaking new barriers every time she steps on the track for a high-stakes run.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world record breaker in the 400 hurdles is m