U.S. Takes Olympic Gold And Silver In The Fastest Women's 400-Meter Hurdles Ever

By Merrit Kennedy

Published August 3, 2021 at 11:41 PM CDT

Sydney Mclaughlin, of the United States, wins the women's 400 meter hurdles final at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

TOKYO — U.S. hurdler Sydney McLaughlin surged from behind in the final stretch to break her own world record and take Olympic gold in the women's 400 meter hurdles.

This event pitted the world record holder against the defending gold medalist. Both are U.S. athletes. McLaughlin, 21, previously broke the world record in June at U.S. Olympic Trials. It was the first time a woman has broken 52 seconds in the event. Today, she clocked 51.46.

Dalilah Muhammad, the 31-year-old former world record holder, won gold in this event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She took silver with her fastest time ever, 51.58.

After the race, the two women hugged each other warmly.

The bronze went to Dutch runner Femke Bol.

The 400 meter hurdles is really having a moment at these Games.

Less than 24 hours earlier, the men's final event was also a match-up against two of the fastest men to ever run the race.

Norway's Karsten Warholm smashed his own world record by about three-quarters of a second. And Rai Benjamin of the U.S. was right behind him, with a time that was also faster than the previous world record.

Silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad hugs gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, both of Team United States, after competing in the Women's 400m Hurdles Final on Wednesday.