SYDNEY MF MCLAUGHLIN

Well, we all know what she can do, but how about what she maybe can't do? The 800m? But, of course, while she's such a dominant force in the hurdles she will undoubtedly "play safe" and stick with that event. Mind you, she did complain last year about the poor reaction her Olympic win attracted. If she really wants to stir things up, she must embrace the unknown, and be seen as an athlete who is prepared to boldly step out of her comfort zone.

She's always been like that, it's nothing new. She's just very reserved and introverted, that's all.

Being "not normal" is not the same thing as being "depressed." Not everyone reacts the same way, and that's OK.

Yes, Anna Hall will probably win a gold medal in the heptathlon one day. So could Sydney if she wanted to.

Sydney doesn't smile much about her track performances. She never has.

But she smiles a lot about things she finds funny. That's just how she's always been.

I thing that her stone face after a race has to do with her faith. Either she is 1) in some kind of trance during and after (she seems to be reciting a prayer to herself before) or 2) she sees it as personally shameful to take any personal glory from the performance (kind of how some sects reject dancing in public). Maybe some of both. Mixed with some good old "resting b***h face".

What is very abrupt is when she soberly walks up to the time clock for the post-race photo then pops into her very attractive smile. Like someone causally hitting a light switch.

I would hate to believe this. I’m a raising star in my distance as a pro, and I’m as clean as a whistle. If I can get to where I am clean, any one can.

Yep. You can't run a time like that and not suffer the effects. I suspect she felt like she wanted to puke or just pass out.

Do you really think the contraction of the word "have" is "of?"

To be clear, my posting the scores for the women’s sprint world records was in no way meant to insinuate that McLaughlin is dirty. It was simply intended to show how amazing she is. I believe she’s clean. By all accounts, she was a phenom from the very first moment she stepped foot on a track, and she’s been smashing records ever since. At only 22, she’s at an age where improvement is expected, and she’s competing in an event in which adjustments in form and technique can lead to drops in times.

You aren't kidding. She set a state record her FIRST EVER indoor race in high school in December of her freshman year.

The girl has it all working for herself, she has it all and I get tired of jerks in hiding accusing this class act of being a doper, when has she ever needed to play that, yep.....never.

Attractive intelligent, great great athlete. So you treat her with the respect she deserves.

Is there an elite sprint coach in the US (and one with extensive knowledge of hurdling technique) who doesn’t have a cloud of suspicion around them or someone they coach? Not making excuses for her, I genuinely don’t know. Her college coach, Edrik Floreal?

On YouTube you can find a clip of Ato Boldon talking about her on the Flotrack podcast when she first went pro. It is super interesting as he talks about her being a more natural extrovert than Allyson Felix and her personality really shining on the track. Made me really sad for her that we seem to have squashed the joy and love for the sport out of her with all the nitpicking and expectations. Hopefully that is not the case though!

Why do you need to "wrap your head around it?" She can "celebrate" anyway she chooses. People on here will find something negative in any and everything. So she's not running around like Noah Lyles, so what? Why can't you just say great job and leave it at that?

If Sydney ever tests positive for Roids, I will never watch nor support Track and Field ever again.

But are you scoring 1312 points?

She will be 'roided but you can reassure yourself that, like most, she will never fail a test. They've known how to do that since Marion Jones.