Sydney McLaughlin is a 16-year-old Olympian from Scotch Plains, N.J., she currently attends Union Catholic High School.

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Athletics Career

At 15 years of age, Mclaughlin broke the World Youth (under age 18) hurdles records (along with the national high school records) in less than a week.

She ran 12.84 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles prelims at the USATF Junior Championships Clovis, Calif., bettering the world youth record of 12.94 set in 2013 by Yanique Thompson of Jamaica, and the high school record of 12.92 by Dior Hall of Washington (Denver) in 2014.

At the 9th IAAF World Youth Championships in 2015, McLaughlin won the 400m Hurdles in a time of 55.94.

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In 2016, the two-time Gatorade State Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships with a time of 54.46 seconds, breaking a 32-year-old national prep record set by former U.S.

Olympian Leslie Maxie in 1984.

McLaughlin smashed the record by nearly 0.74 seconds, ranking as the World No. 1 among U-20 competitors in 2016.

Her 400-meter dash time of 51.87 at the state Meet of Champions is the fastest U-18 time in the world this year, breaking her own state record and ranks No. 1 among U.S. prep competitors in 2016.

At the US Olympic Trials, McLaughlin broke the 400 hurdles world junior record and clinched an Olympic berth with a time of 54.15 seconds.

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