TOKYO -- Sydney McLaughlin broke this world record. Dalilah Muhammad broke it, too.McLaughlin won the Olympic gold medal in the latest installment in the best rivalry of track. However, only one of the world's top hurdlers could win it.McLaughlin (21-year-old from East Orange, New Jersey) won the 400-meter hurdles title Wednesday in Tokyo Olympics. He finished in 51.46 seconds, making it yet another historic day on the Olympic oval.McLaughlin was second after the final hurdle and won the title of defending Olympic champion. McLaughlin's previous record of 51.9 was also broken by Muhammad's 51.58 time. Muhammad won the silver.This is the first time that two women from the same country have won gold and silver in the 400-meter hurdles for women.McLaughlin was not able to celebrate the feat, partly because she had to traverse 400m while crossing 10 hurdles at 17 mph, which is a lot more exhausting than it looks.After settling down on the ground, she looked at the scoreboard intently, and then moved towards the hand-sanitizing station. Muhammad came over to give her a hug and congratulated her. They will meet again. Next July will be the World Championships.Right, Sydney McLaughlin finished just ahead her rival Dalilah Mohammed and won gold in a world record time of 51.46 secs. AP Photo/Petr David JosekThis record, as impressive and remarkable as McLaughlin's race may have been, didn't surprise anyone.McLaughlin, a New York City native, and Muhammad, a Southern Cal graduate, have traded the record and the wins for the past two years. Muhammad broke the record at U.S. Nationals, Des Moines, Iowa in 2019. He then lowered it again. At the world championships, Doha, it was 52.16McLaughlin set that record earlier in the summer at Olympic trials. She ran 51.90 and became the first woman to break 52 seconds.It was inevitable that the mark would drop again in Tokyo's perfect running conditions.Just a day before, Karsten Warholm of Norway broke his old world record by finishing the men's race with a time of 45.94. Rai Benjamin, the runner-up, finished in 46.17, beating the old mark. Six runners set world, continental and national records in the race.It was an enormous task for the women, whose race was eagerly awaited. They exceeded all expectations.Muhammad started in Lane 7 and quickly recovered the lag as they cruised down to the backstretch.McLaughlin and Muhammad drew even slowly, steadily. They were almost at a draw as they reached the 100-meter mark. McLaughlin was the one who began to climb over Muhammad's last hurdle.Although the margin of.12 seconds was not quite as wide as in Doha where McLaughlin lost by 0.07 in a race that changed McLaughlin's thinking, it was still close.In 2016, she was 16 years old and had exploded onto the scene. She loved to tell stories about how she could ride a unicycle, juggle, and both do both simultaneously. She was also able to hurdle and has won youth titles as well as trips to major international competitions.In one of the most competitive events on the program, Muhammad won a gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. She was selected for the U.S. Olympic team. McLaughlin was eliminated in the semifinal round. It was a great learning experience.Mike McCabe was McLaughlin's high-school coach. "Early on you could immediately tell she was super special. Just kept getting better and better each year," McCabe said. McCabe watched with McLaughlin's former high school friends and fans.McLaughlin, however, had already graduated high school by 2019 and had larger dreams. McLaughlin's performance in Des Moines and Doha showed her how talented she was. But, McLaughlin was left with a clear reality: Muhammad was better.McLaughlin switched coaches and began working with Bobby Kersee. His expertise helped to create what could be its own track and field Hall of Fame wing: Jackie Joyner Kersee, Florence Griffith Joyner, Allyson Felice.McLaughlin, nowKersee's magic was in McLaughlin having to run shorter distances, jump off the other foot, run indoors more, and adapt to new situations. He also worked on her mental side, which is difficult to shake off.She was calm at trials, even though a flawed starting system made it difficult for the field to get back in the blocks three times during a hot day of qualifying.In Tokyo, she didn't seem to have any problems despite dealing with quarantine rules and early wake-up times (4:00 a.m. in the first round) as well as a torrential rainstorm that struck during the semifinals.McLaughlin stated earlier this summer that Bobby always talks about Muhammad Ali and she always has to be prepared for the left hook when McLaughlin was asked how she handles the unexpected.McLaughlin was stopped by Dalilah Muhammad in this instance. Although it is hard to believe that this is the end for this rivalry, she did so.This report was contributed by The Associated Press.
