Why Sydney McLaughlin is taking break from track activities
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 23.01.26. | 11:03
The 2026 season is expected to be relatively quiet, with no major global outdoor championships scheduled, aside from the World Athletics Indoor Championships
World 400m hurdles record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will sit out the 2026 athletics season as she prepares to start a family.
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The two-time Olympic and world champion announced on Thursday, 22 January, that she and her husband, Andre Levrone, are expecting their first child.
The news was shared through a post on Instagram, confirming that one of track and field’s biggest stars will temporarily step away from competition.
McLaughlin-Levrone and Levrone, who got married in 2022, appear to have planned the pregnancy carefully around the elite athletics calendar.
🚨 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Announces Pregnancy 🚨
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) January 22, 2026
Earlier today, the 400m Hurdle World Record Holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Andre Levrone announced on social media today that they are expecting their first child. pic.twitter.com/4IYlrAUN9O
The 2026 season is expected to be relatively quiet, with no major global outdoor championships scheduled, aside from the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
This leaves ample time for recovery and a return to competition ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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The American has been one of the most dominant athletes of her generation, winning multiple Olympic and world titles while redefining the 400m hurdles with a series of world record-breaking performances.
She has also expanded her range in recent seasons, excelling in the flat 400m at major championships.
Her announcement follows a similar decision by Kenyan long-distance star Beatrice Chebet, the 10,000 m world record holder.
Earlier this month, Chebet revealed that she would also step away from competition in 2026.
The reigning Olympic and world champion over 5,000 m and 10,000 m had been widely tipped to chase a third straight world cross-country title before opting for a break.
