For many athletes, the Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of competitive sports—a stage where dreams are realized, and legacies are born. But for a young Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, stepping onto the track at the 2016 Rio Olympics felt less like a dream fulfilled and more like stepping into the lion’s den.
At just 16 years old, McLaughlin-Levrone made history as the youngest American track and field athlete to compete in the Olympics in over four decades. While the world admired her prodigious talent and fearless demeanor, the young hurdler was battling intense nerves as she prepared to take on her first Olympic heat in the 400-meter hurdles.
In her 2024 memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, McLaughlin-Levrone offers a raw and honest account of her Olympic debut. Among the many anecdotes, one particularly striking passage describes her emotions when she realized who she would be racing against. Sharing the track with seasoned stars like Jamaica’s Ristananna Tracey (now Bailey-Cole) and the Czech Republic’s Zuzana Hejnová left her feeling outmatched and overwhelmed.
Both women were formidable opponents. Hejnová was already a two-time world champion and had claimed silver at the 2012 London Olympics, while Bailey-Cole, although not a major medalist at the time, represented a nation renowned for its dominance in sprint and hurdle events. For a teenager just beginning to find her place on the global stage, it was a daunting scenario.
“I genuinely thought I had no chance,” McLaughlin-Levrone confessed in her book. “I was surrounded by athletes whose resumes felt a mile long. The weight of that moment, of standing at the start line with women I had admired on TV, nearly crushed me.”
Yet despite the intimidation, McLaughlin-Levrone held her own. Though she didn’t medal in Rio, simply qualifying for the semifinals at such a young age was an incredible achievement—and a glimpse of the greatness to come. More importantly, the experience lit a fire within her, proving to be a valuable learning moment that helped shape her mental toughness and competitive mindset.
“I didn’t win that day, but I walked away with something more valuable,” she wrote. “I realized that fear doesn’t mean you’re not ready. It means you care. And once I learned to channel that fear, it became fuel.”
Looking back, her performance in Rio laid the foundation for an extraordinary career. McLaughlin-Levrone would go on to win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, breaking world records in the 400m hurdles and establishing herself as one of the greatest track athletes of her generation.
Her honesty about her early struggles and self-doubt has resonated with fans and aspiring athletes alike. It’s a powerful reminder that even the most elite competitors experience fear and uncertainty—and that greatness often begins in the most intimidating of arenas.
Today, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is no longer the wide-eyed teenager unsure of her place among the elite. She is the benchmark. And her journey from feeling out of place in Rio to dominating the sport serves as an inspiring testament to perseverance, growth, and unshakable faith.