American Sydney McLaughlin has destroyed the 400m hurdles world record at the World Championships in Oregon, running a time of 50.68.
The fastest time for a women's 400m race this year is 49.11 — without any hurdles in the way — making McLaughlin the 19th fastest female runner across that distance in 2022 with or without obstacles.
The 22-year-old obliterated the field in setting the first world record of these championships. More impressively, it marked the fourth straight major race in which she's bettered the mark.
"It's unreal," McLaughlin said in the post-race interview on the track.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands finished second in 52.27 — that's a 1.59-second difference — and defending world champion Dalilah Muhammad finished third in 53.13 — a time that would've won the race a mere seven years ago.
After the medals ceremony, World Athletics President Seb Coe presented McLaughlin with a check for $100,000 — the bonus for anyone who sets a world mark at this meet.
"Honestly, I just wanted to run and go for it," she said.
"That last 100 really hurt."
The 400-hurdles record had sat on the books for 16 years when Muhammad lowered it to 52.20 at US championships in Iowa in 2019.
Since then, either McLaughlin or Muhammad have broken it at every major meet: Muhammad at 2019 worlds (52.16), then McLaughlin at last year's Olympic trials (51.90), the Olympics (51.46), nationals this year (51.41), and now, this.
McLaughlin has set three of those four records on this very track at Hayward Stadium. She has turned what used to be the best one-on-one showdown in sports — her vs. Muhammad — into a one-woman show for the time being.
ABC/AP
