Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ’s 400m victory at the 2025 World Championships was already historic. She clocked 47.78 seconds, the fastest time in four decades, and just 0.18 seconds short of being the world record. But the conversation didn’t stop at the finish line. Marileidy Paulino , who finished just 0.20 seconds behind, sparked a debate by suggesting consistency matters more than racing a few times a year. However, fans immediately rallied to defend McLaughlin-Levrone.

During the post-race interview, Paulino took a subtle jibe at McLaughlin-Levrone. She claimed , “I feel like I won because I’ve been preparing myself, running five consecutive years, running six, seven, eight races a year, and that’s called winning. Not just showing up two or three times a year.” Sydney McLaug

See Full Page