The 400m hurdles world record holder and multiple Olympic champion will not compete in the main Diamond League program, but will end her season in the Belgian capital

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will run both the 200 and 400 metres in Brussels, but will not take part in the main Diamond League programme.

The Van Damme Memorial meet organizers have added “two special races” to their schedule to “honor Sydney’s extraordinary achievements, including her unforgettable world record in the 400-meter hurdles in Paris.”

The 400 and 200 metre competitions will be held on 13 and 14 September respectively.

Earlier this week, the Brussels Diamond League announced that Team McLaughlin-Levrone would compete in the Belgian capital.

However, it was not clearly established during the meeting whether she would take part in the events preceding the Diamond League or in the main program itself.

For the 25-year-old to receive a global wildcard into the main programme, the rules stated that she had to have competed in a Diamond League race this season.

McLaughlin-Levrone has not competed in the Diamond League since July of last year, when she ran a time of 49.71 in the 400 meters in Paris.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Getty)

This led to Diamond League CEO Petr Stastny declaring she was ineligible to compete in the official 200 and 400 metres races.

To clarify the situation, the Memorial Van Damme stated: “To avoid any confusion or ambiguity, we confirm that Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will compete at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme, but not as part of the Wanda Diamond League Final.”

This means McLaughlin-Levrone will have the chance to showcase her incredible speed over the 200 and 400 metres.

The American athlete won her second Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles in Paris, breaking her own world record with a time of 50.37. She was also part of the U.S. women’s 4 × 400-meter relay team that finished on the top podium.

Although she has focused primarily on the hurdles at major championships, McLaughlin-Levrone is also the second-fastest American female track and field athlete over a single lap, thanks to a time of 48.74 she ran at Hayward Field last July.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Getty)

That now puts her 12th on the all-time 400m list, and if she runs faster, Sanya Richards-Ross’s U.S. record of 48.70 will surely be broken.

McLaughlin-Levrone posted a personal best time in the 200 meters of 22.07, a record she set in May in Los Angeles.

Because the Brussels event spans two days, American athletes and others have the opportunity to race together in a variety of events over the course of the weekend.

However, races outside the Diamond League tend to have fewer competitors, so it will be interesting to see who the organisers field in this category.

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