Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone makes history as blazing-fast 400m wins world title

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone produced the second-fastest 400-meter ever to win the world title and make history Thursday in Tokyo.

The 25-year-old American, on a wet track at the Japan National Stadium, ran a championship-record 47.78 seconds from Lane 5 to take down the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino and Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser — two of the past three world champions — and become the first person ever to win world titles in both the 400m flat and hurdles.

Paulino herself ran a national record (47.98s) to take silver, making it three straight world championships at which she has medalled. Naser clocked 48.19s, her fastest of the calendar year, and earned bronze.

CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD! 😱

SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE IS A 400M WORLD CHAMPION! #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/4Y4r0hn98A

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) September 18, 2025

“It’s amazing, it’s an honor,” McLaughlin-Levrone said after the race. “I knew there were a lot of people doubting me with making the switch from 400 metres hurdles to the flat 400, but ultimately, I had faith in my training. I knew I had it in me (to run that fast).”

McLaughlin-Levrone smashed the American record she set in the semifinal and became only the fourth woman under 48 seconds ever, alongside Paulino, Marita Koch (47.60s) and Jarmila Kratochvílová (47.99s). Incredibly, like in Paris last summer, all nine women broke 50 seconds.

It is yet another accolade for arguably the best one-lapper in track and field history. McLaughlin-Levrone, a double Olympic champion and six-time world-record holder for the 400m hurdles, made a bold switch to the flat at these championships.

She is the fifth American woman to win world championship gold over 400m, the most recent of which was Phyllis Francis in 2017, and the first person ever to conquer both the hurdles and flat over one lap. She was the world champion in the 400 hurdles in 2022.

Her race strategy was a bold run from the blocks, quickly up on the shoulder of Great Britain’s Amber Anning in the lane outside her. She was more than one-tenth up at 100m and further clear at halfway, with Paulino and Naser placed second and third.

Paulino, the Olympic champion over this distance last summer, closed hard and temporarily threatened to close the gap off the final bend. McLaughlin-Levrone held her off, though, closing the final 100m in 12.91s, the quickest in the field.

The track and field schedule is not set for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but McLaughlin-Levrone indicated she’d be open to running both 400 events if the calendar allows. In Paris last year, the heats, semifinals and finals for each were on alternating days, meaning it would’ve required six consecutive days of running to get through the finals in each. She also typically runs the 4×400 relays, which could add another two days of competition.

“We will need to talk about the schedule for the (Olympics),” she said. “Maybe I could do both 400m and 400m hurdles.”

Men’s 400m final

Botswana, which had never before taken a men’s world championship medal over 400m, made history with a gold/bronze finish. Collen Kebinatshipi, only 21, improved on his world-leading performance from the semifinal to run 43.53s for gold — the fastest winning time in a world championship final since 2019.

Sandwiched between him and compatriot Bayapo Ndori (44.20s) was Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who ran a national record (43.72s). The only American in the final, Jacory Patterson, finished seventh.

Men’s and women’s 200m semis

Noah Lyles ran 19.51s to reach the 200m final, qualifying as the fastest across the three semifinals. That time is his quickest since he clocked 19.47s to win a Diamond League event in London in July 2023, and it improves on Lyles’ world-leading time from U.S. trials earlier this summer.

“I surprised myself. The message today was that they can’t beat me,” he said after. “I knew I was running fast when I exited the curve, but I didn’t expect 19.51. Don’t miss the final, it’s going to be magical.”

Jamaican medal hopeful Bryan Levell, the quickest in the heats, won his semifinal ahead of 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo. Teenage Australian talent Gout Gout, on his global championships debut, finished fourth in that race, so does not advance. Kenny Bednarek, who won the first heat, ensures there will be two Americans in the final.

Shericka Jackson, the defending 200m champion, was the fastest semi-finalist with a season’s best 21.99s. Four Americans will be in the final: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Anavia Battle and Brittany Brown all qualified by finishing top two in their semi-finals, while Mckenzie Long ran 22.48s to take a non-automatic spot.

Great Britain’s Amy Hunt ran a personal best of 22.08s to qualify as the third-quickest, with Dina Asher-Smith making it two Brits in the final.

Noah Lyles makes a STATEMENT with the fastest 200m in the WORLD this year! 😤

📺 USA Network pic.twitter.com/7tov7p1HYb

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) September 18, 2025

Men’s javelin final

Trinidad and Tobago athlete Keshorn Walcott pulled off an upset in the javelin. The 32-year-old, who was Olympic champion back in 2012, won his first world title with an 88.16m throw — ahead of Grenada’s Anderson Peters (silver, 87.38m), and U.S. athlete Curtis Thompson (bronze, 86.67m).

It brings a first American world championship medal in the men’s javelin since Breaux Greer claimed bronze in 2007. Meanwhile, Walcott becomes only the second male javelin world champion from the Caribbean, after Peters in 2019 and 2022.

There was disappointment for defending world champion Neeraj Chopra of India, and last summer’s Olympic champion, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. The pair finished eighth and 10th, respectively, with best throws of 84.03m and 82.75m, though Nadeem has had injury issues and surgery this year.

Women’s triple jump

Cuban Leyanis Pérez Hernández, who was world indoor champion this March, made it two global titles in 2025, jumping a world-leading 14.94m for gold. Her best was five centimeters further than Olympic champion Thea Lafond of Dominica (14.89m), who claimed silver.

Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, the world record holder, completed an impressive comeback from the Achilles injury that saw her miss the Olympics last August. She may have lost her streak of four straight world title wins, but she took bronze with a 14.76m jump.

From left, Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez Hernández and Dominica’s Thea Lafond celebrate their triple jump medals Thursday in Tokyo. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Men’s 800m semifinals

American Donovan Brazier, the 2019 world champion, had been on the comeback trail this year, though was eliminated after finishing third in his heat and without a fast enough time for a non-automatic spot. The podium from last summer’s Olympics — Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Canada’s Marco Arop and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati — all make the final.

Ireland’s Cian McPhillips (1:43.18s) and Jamaican Navasky Anderson (1:43.72s) ran national records to qualify. Great Britain’s No. 1 in the event, Max Burgin, was the third-fastest overall and made his first world championship final.

(Photo: Michael Steele / Getty Images)