Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shared how her eyes were opened by the Rio Olympics. “Lacked Mental Preparation”
When you hear the name Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, you seldom think about a track and field celebrity who’s not confident about herself. But even the greatest stars of the sport can sometimes bite more than they can chew. While McLaughlin remains one of the most decorated Olympians of the country, her stint at the 2016 Rio Olympics was a major learning point in her illustrious career.
At the 2020 Olympics, Sydney bagged two golds, both of which she defended successfully at the Paris Games last month. Naturally, her prowess should be beyond any spec of doubt. But that wasn’t always the case, as the 25-year-old reveals herself.
In her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, released earlier this year, McLaughlin-Levrone sheds light on how she had to pull up her socks after a disappointing 17th-place finish at the Rio event eight years ago. “Maybe I had the physical gifts to reach the finals or possibly even win a medal in Rio, but I was not mentally prepared to do what it was going to take,” she confesses earnestly. However, she also knew that this was a chance that many athletes longed to achieve in their lives, and she was staring at it right in the face.
“I had to admit that, in spite of the obstacles, my coaches, my family, and I were still pursuing our Olympic ambition. In order to enjoy it, we had to set aside some time, says McLaughlin-Levrone. Keeping that in mind, she ignored her personal problems in an attempt to seize the moment, and she had everyone nearby to watch the action take place. As she emphasizes how the trip from high school to the biggest stage was an amazing one for all of them, Sydney writes in her book, “Spending time with my high school coaches truly made me feel less bad about my actions in the semifinal.”
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