American in complete command as she clocks 50.37 to successfully defend her 400m hurdles title, while Femke Bol has to settle for third

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her second successive Olympic 400m hurdles title and smashed her own world record in the process, clocking 50.37, in Paris on Thursday night (August 8).

In one of the greatest track performances ever seen in athletics, the 25-year-old took down the mark of 50.65 she had set in Eugene earlier this year and was a class apart.

A battle royale with world champion Femke Bol had been anticipated, but it didn’t materialise and the European record-holder was beaten to silver by another American, Anna Cockrell, who produced the fourth-fastest time ever with her PB of 51.87. Bol cut a disappointed figure following the race, having run 52.15, and admitted she paid the price for a searing first 200m.

McLaughlin-Levrone and Bol had looked relatively well matched over the opening half of the race, but the defending champion established a gap on the final bend that only grew when she hit the finishing straight.

Bol remained her closest challenger but the European champion who had helped the Netherlands to Mixed 4x400m relay gold with an amazing anchor leg earlier in these Games began to toil and had no answer to Cockrell’s closing charge.

“All you want to do in an Olympic final is to put up your best race. I screwed it up," said Bol. "I just got so much lactic acid with 300m to go. This is just a bad race. I’ll look at the positives, I’ll talk to my coach, I’ll try to enjoy the bronze.”

For McLaughlin-Levrone, her performance was the perfect belated birthday gift.

"I'm grateful to be celebrating my 25th birthday like this. It was yesterday. My whole family’s here. We’re going to celebrate, we’re going to enjoy this time and get ready for the [4x400m] relay too.

“It’s amazing to see our sport continue to grow, for people to want to watch the 400m hurdles, it’s amazing. Just a lot of hard work put in this year. I knew it was going to be a tough race. An amazing competition all the way round.”

In the men’s 110m hurdles final, there was also a commanding win for another American athlete as Grant Holloway finally got his hands on the Olympic title.

The three-time world champion has long been the dominant force in the event, but was beaten to gold by Jamaica's Hansel Parchment at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

There was little doubt about the destination of the gold medal this time around, however, as he led from start to finish, clocking 12.99 (-0.1) to beat fellow countryman Daniel Roberts (13.09) and Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell, who was also given 13.09.

“This was not a redemption moment at all," said Holloway. "Tokyo was three years ago. Obviously, Hansle had a great race and this was my time.

“I felt relief. The collection is finally complete. To have world indoors, Diamond Leagues, world outdoors - all titles, and now, official Olympic gold is great, so I am ecstatic.”

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