Posted on 07/23/2022 9:20:22 AM PDT by BenLurkin
For the fourth time in 13 months, the 22-year-old McLaughlin set the world record. On Friday, she ran the 400-meter hurdles at world championships in 50.68 seconds. She shattered her old mark by 0.73 seconds, a ridiculous number for a race of this distance and an amount of time that, in the world before McLaughlin, it had taken 33 years to trim.
After McLaughlin received her gold medal and listened to "The Star-Spangled Banner,'' World Athletics president Sebastian Coe handed her a $100,000 check -- the prize for breaking the record at worlds. This marked the fourth straight major race in which she's bettered the mark.
On a clear, perfect, 72-degree night at Hayward Field, McLaughlin left Bol and Muhammad behind by the 150-meter mark. By the time the American reached the final curve, it was clear this would strictly be a race against the clock.
Some answers lie in the mix of improved track surfaces, new technology in the spikes that hurdling great Edwin Moses compared to "having trampolines on your shoes,'' and a new coaching regimen employed by Kersee, who has worked with virtually all of America's greats, in the run-up to last year's Olympics.
But mostly, pure talent.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
Women’s world record
Makes me so proud of her to stand against the trend. God bless and keep her
Amazing athlete and all-around good person.
She grew up in NJ, went to Catholic school, and is very grounded. She recently married.
Both her parents ran track when they were young.
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