Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has forced the track and field world to take notice in Tokyo. In Tuesday’s 400-meter semifinal at the World Championships, the American ran 48.29 seconds, a performance that not only advanced her to the final but also erased Sanya Richards-Ross’s long-standing national record of 48.70 from 2006. It was the 11th-fastest time in history, the best mark ever by an American, and a run she admitted caught her off guard. Speaking to NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson, she said, “I didn’t expect to run this fast today. And I still have more to show.”

Richards-Ross’s record had survived nearly two decades, but McLaughlin-Levrone’s breakthrough underscored her ability to translate her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles into the flat event. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in he

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