Sydney McLaughlin breaks her own 400-meter hurdle record. Again.

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McLaughlin-Levrone leaning toward the finish line during the race, with her opponents in the background behind her.

Aug. 8, 2024, 6:29 p.m. ET

Impossible expectations have fallen on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s shoulders.

When she lines up for a major race in the 400-meter hurdles, the question is not if she will win, but how. Will McLaughlin-Levrone make up the stagger by the 300-meter mark? The 200-meter mark? How will competitors push her, if only temporarily?

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Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

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Credit...Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times

How many more times can she break her own world record?

The questions sound absurd because they are. But as McLaughlin-Levrone stared down the purple track at Stade de France on Thursday night, it looked as if she already knew the answers.

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Credit...Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times

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Credit...Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

She broke the world record for an astonishing sixth time, finishing in 50.37 seconds, to win another Olympic gold medal. McLaughlin-Levrone bested the time she set in June to break her own mark for the fifth time. In doing so, she pulled her two American teammates to personal bests. Anna Cockrell finished second with a time of 51.87, and Jasmine Jones finished fourth in 52.29. Femke Bol of the Netherlands earned the bronze in 52.15.

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Credit...Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Chang W. Lee has been a photographer for The Times for 30 years, covering events throughout the world. He is currently based in Seoul. Follow him on Instagram @nytchangster. More about Chang W. Lee