Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone owns both the 400-meter hurdles world record (50.37 at Paris 2024) and the American record in the flat 400, treating multiple disciplines like a casual hobby while the rest of the world struggles to master one. The 25-year-old doesn’t just win races—she resets what’s possible. She’s the only woman to break 51 seconds in the hurdles, and she’s done it six times.
She’s now the face of Tag Heuer’s new Connected Calibre E5 x New Balance collaboration, a partnership that makes perfect sense for an athlete who measures success in milliseconds and won’t race without her lucky diamond TAG on her wrist. McLaughlin-Levrone is as hands-on designing her New Balance spikes in the biomechanics lab as she is dissecting Sofia Richie’s Instagram for style inspiration.
Looking toward the Summer Olympics in L.A. in 2028, the two-time Olympic champion is plotting how to elevate a sport that has “stars and huge personalities,” but desperately needs the infrastructure to match. Track and field’s business model, she argues, is stuck in 1985, while women’s sports explode everywhere else. She wants track to meet that energy—and she’s positioning herself to help lead that charge.
Observer recently caught up with McLaughlin-Levrone, and below, the Olympian unpacks the rituals, recovery tools and surprisingly specific superstitions that power the fastest woman in history—from 10-minute ice baths and prayer verses to the stuffed dog that gets origami gifts from Tokyo hotel staff.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Essentials
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Her skincare favorites, on and off the track -
Her training shoes and lab takeaways -
Her race-night watch and wearable tech -
Her quiet time -
Her recovery must-haves -
How she recharges in the off-season -
Her off-season rebuild -
Her style inspiration -
What she’s binge-watching -
Her favorite travel destination and talismans -
Her take on track and field
Her skincare favorites, on and off the track
Sunscreen is my non-negotiable—we’re in the sun all day. I’m with Neutrogena, their Ultra Sheer sunscreen, which gives a good glow but really it’s the sun protection more than anything. For broadcast races when the cameras are right up, yes, we wear full face. All the girls do when we run on camera. You need a really good setting spray for the sweat, the rain sometimes, all those kinds of things. Day to day it’s simple: cleanse, protect, hydrate…repeat.
Neutrogena
Her training shoes and lab takeaways
Always New Balance. The quality of the product for me is everything. When your feet are your life as a runner, you want something you can depend on—something that’s going to help you get the job done. As someone who’s had feet issues in the past, New Balance is by far the best quality there is. I want something with good support for the amount of running I’m doing, but also very lightweight. You want to feel like you’re almost not wearing a shoe. Something heavy is added weight as you’re running, but you also need something that’s going to support you whether you’re sprinting or on longer runs—something with great energy return.
Lifestyle-wise, I’ve been living in the 471s—that ‘mom shoe’ vibe. They go with everything, whether it’s casual dress-down or even just sweatpants. They’re super comfortable. And I’m a size 10, and certain shoe models make my feet look really big, but I feel like those make them look slim and petite. So I love it.
New Balance
Her race-night watch and wearable tech
Training days, I’m now wearing the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 x New Balance—heart rate, GPS on long runs, sleep tracking. Technology is really helping us make life easier in so many different ways. As a runner, I need to know my heart rate at any given moment. I forget to breathe sometimes, so it’s nice to have those little nudges—like, “oh, you actually are stressed, you should breathe.” Having everything connected to your phone, even when it’s not super close to me at the moment, is amazing.
On meet night, I switch to my black Link TAG with diamonds. It’s the perfect size—not super heavy, sits perfectly. The face might be a little wider than some, but I don’t really feel it when I run. I don’t want to feel this big old thing on my arm when I’m racing. At this point, it’s my lucky watch. I’ve worn it for all the world records, so now I can’t go without it. If I don’t have it, I feel weird—like I’m not complete, you know what I mean?
TAG Heuer x New Balance
Her quiet time
“Rest is not a bad word,” my coach always says—and I live by that. I think we all need rest. Life can be very, very busy. There can always be ups and downs and ebbs and flows, and so I think you got to build it in. There are things you have to say no to, to prioritize having those moments of quiet time because it’s necessary. Off-season right now, I sit at our kitchen table in that big wash of morning sun and put Lena Horne on; it’s keeping me very calm. It settles me. Race weeks, it’s prayer and breathwork all day until the gun.
Her recovery must-haves
My body is my job, so recovery is part of the work. When you’re training that hard, in order to be able to go back-to-back days, you need to wipe away as much as possible. I start with a massage to get all the stuff out manually by hand, then go into 10-minute ice baths—about four times a week. Not just my toe—I’m going up to about here [chest level]. The ice bath right before bed helps reset your whole system and makes you sleep better. I’ll add sauna once a week, normally on a Saturday when I have Sunday off, because it can be very draining—you’re sweating out so much, so you need to replenish. And hyperbaric once a week, getting the blood oxygen going. You need it all if you want to go again tomorrow.
Courtesy Tag Heuer/New Balance
How she recharges in the off-season
Off-season, I truly unplug for six weeks. These are the six weeks where our coach is like, “Don’t call me.” I’m doing nothing. I’m eating whatever I want. I’m sleeping in. I’m staying up late. All the things I would beg to do in the middle of the season but can’t. At first I’m like, “Wait, can I eat this cheeseburger?” and I get a little sick because I’m so used to eating a certain way. But after a couple days, I can literally start to relax. First practice back? I feel all of my decisions. Every single one. But it’s worth it.
Her off-season rebuild
I start slow: bike and pool first, lots of heat stretching—hot-Pilates vibes—to relearn movement before adding any external load. I’m really learning how to move my body as just my body—no weight on my back, just getting the mechanics right first. Then we layer in hills, conditioning and longer runs. The first few months of conditioning are very tough, not going to lie. We build into it slowly because it’s such a long year—you have such a long buildup to get back ready that it’s okay if you’re kind of struggling a little bit. Patience wins.
Her style inspiration
Off the track, I’m classic, timeless, elegant—very much Ralph Lauren energy—and I’ll wear sneakers with a dress or skirt in a heartbeat. I love to be fashionable, but I won’t sacrifice comfort. If I’m uncomfortable, I won’t feel good. My husband is basically my stylist. He’s very good with clothes. In high school, I had no idea what my style was—I’d literally go to school and be like, what is everyone else wearing? My style really started developing post-college, during Covid. Style muse right now? Sofia Richie—effortless, put-together, time-saving. When time is of the essence, I want something that looks put together even on a casual day without overdoing it.
Courtesy Tag Heuer/New Balance
What she’s binge-watching
I’m into Doc right now—it’s this medical show that started last year and we’re deep into season two. My husband and I are also working through all the Star Wars films in order. I’d never done it chronologically before—you’re jumping decades, which is actually really fun. We’ve been watching them all.
Her favorite travel destination and talismans
Greece. We stayed in Athens and then drove a couple of hours out—just stunning. If we’re saving up for a dream trip again, that’s the one. I don’t go anywhere without my Minions blanket my mom gave me for my first international meet, and Dre Dre, the little stuffed dog my husband gave me when we were long-distance. In Tokyo at the Edition, housekeeping left Dre Dre origami gifts every day—Japan just hits different.
The Tokyo Edition.
Her take on track and field
Track and field has stars and huge personalities; what we need is infrastructure—a true pro league, consistent TV deals and clearer lanes between pro and amateur so the stars can actually be stars. Women’s sports are having a moment (I’m a big tennis fan—Coco, I need a lesson!), and I want track to meet that energy. Looking toward L.A. 2028, I’m excited. A home Games is special—and we’ll be ready to put on a show.
