High Schooler Sydney McLaughlin’s Olympics Come to An End as Favorites Advance to 400m Hurdle Final

by LetsRun.com
August 16, 2016

High schooler Sydney McLaughlin’s Rio Olympics came to an end after she finished 5th in heat 1 of the semifinals here.

McLaughlin had the fifth best time this year of the entrants in Rio (54.15), but could not come close to that here running 56.22 today and 56.32 yesterday. After round 1, she said she wasn’t as mentally prepared for the first round to be that fast or hard, so some thought she might rebound today but that was not the case. McLaughlin will head back to New Jersey for her senior year of high school at Union Catholic.

Reigning world champ Zuzana Hejnova won McLaughlin’s heat in 54.55, a season’s best as she returns from injury.

In heat #2, former world 400m champion Ashley Spencer got the win after hitting hurdle #9 hard and falling into third place but rebounding after the last hurdle to get the win.

In heat #3, Dalilah Muhammad, the 2016 world leader of the US, showed why she is the favorite running 53.89 to get the win. She was the only athlete under 54 seconds in the semis (She ran a world leading 52.88 to win the Olympic Trials).

Heat 1

POS	BIB	ATHLETE	MARK	DETAIL	REACTION TIME
1	591	Zuzana HEJNOVÁCZE	54.55	Q SB	0.145
2	904	Ristananna TRACEYJAM	54.80	Q	0.237
3	1111	Joanna LINKIEWICZPOL	55.35		0.150
4	604	Stina TROESTDEN	56.00	SB	0.167
5	1357	Sydney MCLAUGHLINUSA	56.22		0.196
6	483	Noelle MONTCALMCAN	56.28		0.222
7	862	Ayomide FOLORUNSOITA	56.37		0.183
8	1284	Olena KOLESNYCHENKOUKR	56.77		0.181

Heat 2:

POS	BIB	ATHLETE	MARK	DETAIL	REACTION TIME
1	1373	Ashley SPENCERUSA	54.87	Q	0.162
2	910	Janieve RUSSELLJAM	54.92	Q	0.162
3	701	Eilidh DOYLEGBR	54.99		0.188
4	1311	Anna TITIMETSUKR	55.27		0.196
5	870	Yadisleidis PEDROSOITA	55.78	SB	0.199
6	1165	Wenda NELRSA	55.83		0.180
7	1091	Emilia ANKIEWICZPOL	56.99		0.133
8	596	Denisa ROSOLOVÁCZE	57.39		0.164

Heat 3:

POS	BIB	ATHLETE	MARK	DETAIL	REACTION TIME
1	1361	Dalilah MUHAMMADUSA	53.89	Q	0.158
2	603	Sara Slott PETERSENDEN	54.55	Q	0.148
3	896	Leah NUGENTJAM	54.98	PB	0.224
4	499	Sage WATSONCAN	55.44		0.199
5	1141	Grace CLAXTONPUR	55.85	PB	0.210
6	1247	Janeil BELLILLETTO	56.06	SB	0.197
7	345	Lauren WELLSAUS	56.83		0.134
8	1312	Viktoriya TKACHUKUKR	56.87		0.192