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The Dunellen native is ten hurdles and one lap around the track from potentially achieving a very rare Olympic feat.
McLaughlin-Levrone, who turned 25 on Wednesday, Aug. 7, coasted into the finals of the track and field women's 400-meter hurdles at Paris 2024, dominating her semifinal race on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
The Union Catholic Regional High School graduate clocked a time of 52.13, which was the best in all three heats and the fastest time ever in an Olympic semifinal.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, McLaughlin-Levrone is looking to capture a third to punctuate a dominant 2024 season. She broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles when she finished in 50.65 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday, June 30.
McLaughlin-Levrone may need to set another world record to bring home gold.
Her toughest competition appears to be Dutch hurdler Femke Bol. The Netherlands runner won her semifinal heat at 52.57, less than a half-second behind McLaughlin-Levrone's time.
After her semifinal race, McLaughlin-Levrone told NBC that she's trusting her years of preparation will pay off in Paris.
"What you've done is what keeps you here so it's just about executing that, trusting the process, trusting the plan, and ultimately, trusting God," she said to Lewis Johnson of NBC Sports.
If she wins in the finals, McLaughlin-Levrone would be the fifth woman for Team USA to repeat as a gold medalist in track and field. While discus thrower Valarie Allman has accomplished that feat in Paris, the last American track runner to go back-to-back was Gail Devers in the 400 meters in 1996.
The former Kentucky Wildcat also expressed how happy and empowered she feels to have her family with her inside Stade de France, including her husband and former NFL wide receiver Andre Levrone Jr.
"[He's] my best friend, my biggest supporter, [and] my personal pastor," said McLaughlin-Levrone. "I love him more than life itself."
Union Catholic has hosted watch parties for McLaughlin-Levrone's races in Paris. Vikings fans, students, and friends will gather again at the Stage House Tavern in Mountainside to cheer for her one more time in the 2024 Summer Games.
McLaughlin-Levrone's gold medal race in the 400m hurdles is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, and you can watch it live on NBC or Peacock.
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