(CP) Christian track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone gave credit to God as became the first woman ever to become a two-time Olympic champion in the women's 400-meter hurdles on Thursday.
The 25-year-old American won the gold medal in Paris, France, by recording a time of 50.37 seconds, beating out fellow American Anna Cockrell, who won the silver medal with a time of 51.87, and bronze medalist Femke Bol of the Netherlands, who finished in 52.15 seconds. Not having lost a 400-meter hurdles race since 2019, McLaughlin-Levrone's victory never appeared to be in question as she pulled away from her competitors down the stretch.
"I credit all that I do to God. He's given me a gift. He's given me a drive to just want to continue to improve upon myself," she said during a Thursday press conference. "I have a platform and I want to use it to glorify Him, and so whenever I step on the track, it's always the prayer of 'God let me be the vessel in which you're glorified' whatever the result is, how I conduct myself, how I carry myself, not just how I perform."
"So it's just freedom in knowing that regardless of what happens, He's going to get the praise through me," she added. "And yeah, that's why I do what I do."
The day after her gold win on Friday, McLaughlin-Levrone appeared on NBC's "Today" show Friday to share her thoughts on the victory.
"I'm feeling great. Honestly, woke up. Surreal. ... Honestly, you just got to run through the line. You never really know what's going on behind you. And you never know how close anybody is with the crowd screaming like that. So you just got to keep running your race, clear those 10 hurdles, and just sprint to the line," McLaughlin-Levrone said.
"You can always tell when it's going to be a fast race. The crowd is huge. But, also, the field was so deep that I knew it was going to take a fast time out there, and the track was very fast, too. So that also helps," McLaughlin-Levrone said.
Immediately after her race, McLaughlin-Levrone was seen hugging her husband, Andre Levrone, and other family members in the crowd.
"It makes the moment so much more full. Honestly, having them there. They're the people that have helped me get to this place. They've done so much for me and just supporting me and doing all the things necessary so we get to celebrate together and it just makes these moments so special," she said.
Andre Levrone, a former college football player for the University of Virginia, joined his wife on the "Today" show. He shared how proud he is of her accomplishments and believes her hard work, dedication and strong faith in God enabled her success.
"I'm incredibly proud of her. I can't even put it into words. There was just sheer emotion coming through me last night at the race. But, the work ethic that she mentioned; she worked incredibly hard," Andre Levrone said.
"We're always there encouraging her practice. ... But, yesterday, before the race, just seeing the confidence and the trust and the faith that she had in God, in her work ethic and the plan that her coach had put into place for her, ... I can't describe it in words. It's beautiful," he added.
After setting another world record in June at the U.S. Trials, McLaughlin-Levrone told NBC Sports that "anything is possible in Christ."
"Praise God," she said. "I was not expecting that, but He can do anything. Anything is possible in Christ."
McLaughlin-Levrone finished the U.S. Trials 400-meter hurdles in 50.65 seconds, which she bested this Thursday.
In a December 2023 interview with The Christian Post, McLaughlin-Levrone said that "the one thing that's unchanging" is her faith in Christ. She said that being able to glorify God through her career and platform has shown her a purpose in life that is "bigger than myself." Sharing the Gospel, she said, "is what its all about."
"That is the most valuable thing. [My goal is] being able to share that truth with people and allow them to come to know and love the Lord in the way in which I have come to know and love," McLaughlin-Levrone said.
"God has been so kind in just allowing me the opportunity to, first of all, fail without Him and realize my need for Him. Living my life for so long apart from Him and trying to succeed in a worldly measure of what success looks like, it always left me empty even when I attained it," she continued.
McLaughlin-Levrone believes that although perfection is "unattainable in this life," Christians should "always strive for excellence" and "always strive to do things ... in a manner worthy of the calling of God."
"In appreciating Him as our Savior, we humble ourselves to realize that we are not perfect," McLaughlin-Levrone said.
"The Lord is sufficient in all things, and being able to glorify Him throughout my career and through my life on the track has shown me a purpose bigger than myself."
