Olympic Champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Expects First Baby

Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is preparing for her biggest challenge yet, and it has nothing to do with breaking world records. The 26-year-old track star and her husband Andre are expecting their first child later this year.

"We're just excited for this new chapter," McLaughlin-Levrone told Olympics.com recently. But fans hoping to see her compete in the 2028 LA Olympics can breathe easy.

The athlete sees pregnancy as fuel for her future, not a finish line. "Hopefully this will bring a new type of motivation for the next seasons to come," she said.

Her father Willie, himself a former track athlete who competed in the 1984 Olympic Trials, is excited to see what comes next. "A lot of athletes that have had children come back and do even better than they did before," he said while sitting beside his daughter.

McLaughlin-Levrone has already proven she's not afraid of change. In 2025, she shocked the athletics world by switching from her signature event, the 400m hurdles where she holds the world record, to the 400m flat.

The gamble paid off spectacularly. She set a new American record and claimed a world championship title in her new event.

Now she's leaning on advice from other track mothers who've balanced both worlds. McLaughlin-Levrone has connected with legends like Allyson Felix, Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce, and Nia Ali, all of whom returned to compete at elite levels after having children.

"It's very encouraging just to know that there's a community there," she said. "There's a lot of women who have done it before me."

Why This Inspires

McLaughlin-Levrone's openness about the challenges ahead shows remarkable vulnerability for someone used to chasing perfection. She admits the coming months will require patience and flexibility, qualities that don't always come naturally to elite athletes who control every detail of their training.

But she's already thinking about the bigger picture. "It's probably going to be one of the most impressive things I've ever done, bringing a human into the world and then being able to go back to my sport," she said.

The timing could be perfect for a comeback story. The 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, marking the first time the Games return to American soil in a generation.

Her father believes the home advantage combined with her new perspective could create something special. "We're excited to be able to have a home Olympics and be able to witness that in LA," Willie said.

McLaughlin-Levrone hopes her journey will inspire her future child to chase their own dreams, whatever they may be.