Sydney McLaughlin breaks world record at USATF Champs; Allyson Felix set for worlds

Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record in the 400m hurdles for the third time in the last year, this time at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.

The Olympic champion clocked 51.41 seconds in Eugene, Oregon, bettering her previous record of 51.46 from the Olympics. In all, McLaughlin has brought the record down from 52.16 in the last year.

“I was just going to finish the race,” McLaughlin told Lewis Johnson on NBC. “We knew anything was possible. I’m really grateful for it.”

Also Saturday, the farewelling Allyson Felix likely clinched a spot on her 10th and final world championships team by placing sixth in the 400m. Talitha Diggs, whose Olympian mom competed at her last nationals the year before Felix competed in her first nationals, won to qualify for worlds in three weeks, also in Eugene.

“Happy that I don’t have any more open 400s ever,” said Felix, adding that she wants to run the mixed-gender 4x400m relay at worlds and would do the women’s 4x400m if asked. “I went to come here and give it my all, try to get in position for a relay and was able to get that done. Can’t complain.”

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Michael Norman took the men’s 400m in 43.56, bettering his own fastest time in the world this year. Norman was the world’s fastest 400m runner in the last Olympic cycle but earned zero individual medals between worlds and the Olympics. Surprise runner-up Champion Allison improved his personal best from 44.29 to 43.70.

Keni Harrison, the Olympic 100m hurdles silver medalist and world record holder, won in 12.35, supplanting Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico as fastest in the world this year. Harrison edged Alaysha Johnson by one hundredth. Nia Ali didn’t start the