EUGENE, Oregon — When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone crossed the finish line of her first U.S. flat 400m final and looked for her time, she modestly hoped to beat her personal best of 49.51 seconds.
She did much more than that.
McLaughlin-Levrone ran the second-fastest lap in U.S. history. The scoreboard read 48.74 seconds, the world’s best time this year and just four hundredths off 2012 Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross’ American record.
It was McLaughlin-Levrone’s fifth consecutive historic championship final. In 2021, she broke the 400m hurdles world record at both the Olympic Trials and the Tokyo Games.
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In 2022, she did the same at both the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships and the world championships.
Having accomplished everything in the hurdles, she transitioned to the flat 400m this year. That’s what made Saturday night’s performance so incredible.
She’s now the second-fastest American in history in an event that she essentially picked up in the offseason, and this season isn’t over yet.
“The greats always push themselves, and I want to be one of them, so I have to push myself and get out of my comfort zone,” McLaughlin-Levrone told Lewis Johnson on NBC Sports.
For now, she leads the U.S. women’s 400m team for August’s world championships in Budapest, joined by Britton Wilson and Talitha Diggs.
But McLaughlin-Levrone has a bye into the 400m hurdles at worlds as defending champion and will race one of those two events in Budapest, her coach, Bobby Kersee, said last month.
A decision on which event has not been announced, but note McLaughlin-Levrone hasn’t raced the hurdles in 11 months.
Going into Saturday, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the Olympic and world silver medalist, had the world’s best time this year of 48.98.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, the Olympic and world champion, returned from April 20 childbirth to compete this week (in the heptathlon!) and has not announced whether she will race at worlds.
Also Saturday, Nia Ali won the 100m hurdles in 12.37 seconds, the 34-year-old’s best time in four years.
Ali returned from childbirth to win 2016 Olympic silver. She returned from having her second child to win the 2019 World title. And she has now returned from her third pregnancy to win her first U.S. outdoor title.
Eight-year-old Titus recently told her, “Mommy, it’s been a long time since you won something big. What’s going on? I want you to win something. I want to see you in Budapest.”
Nikki Hiltz overtook Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu in the women’s 1500m for a triple crown of national titles in 2023. Hiltz won the indoor 1500m in February and road mile in April.
Mu’s focus remains on the 800m, where she has a bye into worlds as defending champion, but she said she might double up with the 1500m. The 1500m final at worlds is 12 and a half hours before the first round of the 800m.
Yared Nuguse extended a breakout year by winning the men’s 1500m. Since placing 11th at last year’s USATF Outdoors, Nuguse ran the fastest 1500m for an American in 2022, ran the world’s second-fastest indoor mile ever and became the second-fastest U.S. 1500m runner in history. His goal for worlds is to earn a medal. He’s the world’s third-fastest man this year.
Field events provided surprises in the pole vault, where two-time world champion Sam Kendricks and American record holder KC Lightoot tied for fourth to miss the world team.
And in the shot put, where world champion Chase Ealey was fourth, though she has a bye into worlds. Maggie Ewen, the world No. 1 this year, took the title.
Bryce Deadmon won a men’s 400m that lacked world champion Michael Norman, who hasn’t announced whether he will use his bye to compete at worlds.
Norman scratched out of the 200m Saturday after being eliminated in the first round of the 100m. Norman had “setback after setback” since announcing his move down to the 100m in February, including changing coaches in May and dealing with tendonitis.
In the 3000m steeplechase, Krissy Gear thwarted Emma Coburn’s bid for an 11th national title. Coburn was second and made a ninth Olympic or world team. Olympic silver medalist Courtney Frerichs scratched before the final due to an ankle injury.
Kenneth Rooks fell early in the men’s steeple and came back to win in a personal-best time. The race lacked injured Evan Jager and Hillary Bor, who combined to win the previous 10 national titles.
Sha’Carri Richardson ran 21.61 in the first round of the 200m with too much tailwind for record purposes (2.6 meters per second). Still, it matched the sixth-fastest time in history under all conditions. The semifinals and final are Sunday. Richardson won the 100m on Friday night.
Devon Allen was the 14th-fastest qualifier into Sunday’s 110m hurdles semifinals. He went into Saturday having not cleared a hurdle since injuring a calf on June 26.
USATF Outdoors finish Sunday, live from 9-11 p.m. ET on CNBC, NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.