Olympic champion athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently opened up about a problem that almost destroyed her career: anxiety. In a recent interview, the reigning 400m world champion revealed her early struggles with anxiety and how she eventually overcame the problems.
McLaughlin-Levrone is currently aiming to represent Team USA in the women’s 400m at the Los Angeles Olympics instead of her usual women’s 400m hurdles event. She even won a gold medal in the same event at the World Championships this year.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Talks About Dealing With Anxiety Problems
In her recent interview with Forbes magazine, McLaughlin-Levrone was asked about her anxiety issues and how she dealt with them. The reigning Olympic champion explained in detail as she said,
“I was a mess. I was a mess, honestly. Uh, didn’t sleep the night before, didn’t eat enough, was constantly paranoid. Just what was going to happen cuz there’s just so much you can’t control. And I think for that to be my identity, I was trying to control as much as possible because I didn’t want to lose. I thought people wouldn’t love me anymore.
“They would leave me. I wouldn’t have friends. I wouldn’t get the validation I wanted on social media, all these kinds of things. And so it was miserable, honestly. Uh, and I think I can control my nerves a lot better.” [7:20 onwards]
READ MORE: What’s Next for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the Upcoming Season?
The 26-year-old athlete was probably referring to her debut experience at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she was eliminated in the semifinals of the 400m hurdles event. She further added,
“I understand that I’m nervous because I care a lot about the result, but ultimately it’s not a crippling anxiety like it once was. And so I’ve learned to be able to kind of channel that into energy to use because I’m excited uh instead of letting it defeat me.”
McLaughlin-Levrone will have to choose between the 400m hurdles and the 400m dash, since the complicated schedule of the LA Olympics won’t allow room for both.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s Performance This Season
After a brilliant show at the 2024 Paris Olympics, McLaughlin-Levrone decided to concentrate more on sprinting this season instead of hurdles. She also announced her decision to compete in the women’s 400m event instead of the women’s 400m hurdles at the World Championships.
The 26-year-old Olympic champion sprinter was one of the star athletes in the highly anticipated Grand Slam Track League, which former sprinting legend Michael Johnson conceptualized. With the lone exception of the Philadelphia meet [where she finished second in 100m and fifth in 100m hurdles], McLaughlin-Levrone excelled in almost every meet she participated in.
While the reigning Olympic champion didn’t participate in the Diamond League, she won the only meet where she showcased her skills. McLaughlin-Levrone clocked an impressive time of 49.43 seconds as she won the Eugene Prefontaine Classic, which also doubles up as the Eugene leg of the Wanda Diamond League.
However, the best was yet to come. At the World Championships held in Tokyo, McLaughlin-Levrone shocked the entire world with her performance in the women’s 400m finals. Missing the four-decade-old world record by a fraction of a second, McLaughlin-Levrone set a new Championship record of 47.78 seconds to win the gold medal.
