SAINT-DENIS, France — For years, as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dabbled in other distances, while also getting married, publishing a book and partnering on a clothing line, she could seem bored by her own dominance. She had created perhaps the best “problem” in sports, making the breaking of her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles more or less her standard.
She competed in the 400 flat last year, showed up at U.S. championships and clocked the 10th-fastest time ever run at that distance. This year, she also tried out the 100-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash—and ran the fastest time in the world at the time in the latter event.
