Sydney McLaughlin's Historic Rise In High School, A Year After Rio


Sophomore Year - 2015

A World Youth Title

A Year Undefeated...

In 2015, she amassed 25 individual track and field victories, combining both seasons and multiple events. Not a single loss of any kind through the regular season, state championships and nationals... not even when you include preliminaries.   

What makes that statement even more impressive is that in 2015 McLaughlin was old enough to attend the IAAF World Youth Championships. She absolutely breezed through USATF Youth Trials in the 400m hurdles, winning by over two seconds with a 55.28. At the time, that was just .08 off the 400mH national record. In Cali, Columbia, she won the World Youth Championship with a meet record run of 55.94 seconds. No one was close to competing with the up and coming talent.  

Race video of McLaughlin's 7.80 in the 55H at Union County Championships in 2015. 

Her experience and success at the World Youth Championships her sophomore year painted a clear picture of possibility for the national star. After her busy summer of competition, in an interview with NJ MileSplit,  she noted that her goal moving forward did in fact involve the Olympics. 

"I want to go as far as my body will take me. I know my limits, and as of right now, I see a lot more to go. Of course the Olympic trials are coming up, and being seeded eighth at this point just pushes me to lower my time to be in there with the best that this country has to offer. I'm both nervous and excited. Of course, I have a year to prepare, the improvements and adjustments I will have to make in order to be successful will be overwhelming... but worth it. This has always been the goal for me. Ever since I was a little girl. And it wouldn't be a story if I didn't have a goal at the end of the tunnel. In this case it is Rio." - Sydney McLaughlin, a year before her magical Olympic run. 

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