When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone chose to run in the flat 400m over hurdles, she only wanted to prove it to herself that she can do it. And behind her belief was the legendary coach Bobby Kersee. Known as the “mad scientist” for his outside-the-box methods, he was sure that “The Champ” would win the race in record time. Why? Because that’s exactly what she had prepared for– a time of under 48 seconds. In fact, when the race was about to begin, he sat in his taxi but not to go to Tokyo’s National Stadium. In Tuesday’s semifinal, the 2022 400m hurdle champion already broke a 19-year-old record with 48.29 seconds. She added more fuel in Thursday’s final .

On a rain-soaked track, the American surged out of lane five, setting the pace early. Defending champion from Dominican Republic, Ma

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