Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is out here making history look easy. She’s the first athlete ever to break four world records in the same event—yeah, four. Since grabbing silver back in 2019, she’s completely owned the 400m hurdles. And 2024? Oh, it’s her year. She smashed the world record again at the Paris Olympics with an insane 50.37 seconds and became the first woman to defend her Olympic title in the event. Oh, and she also helped Team USA win gold in the 4x400m relay, bringing her Olympic gold count to four. Honestly, at this point, it’s easier to list what she hasn’t done.

But, of course, not everyone’s on the same hype train. She was named 2024 Female Track Athlete of the Year by World Athletics, which feels like a no-brainer, right? Well, some people, including a famous coach from Kenya, think otherwise. They’re saying other athletes might’ve been overlooked. But come on, Sydney hasn’t lost a 400m hurdles race since 2019! Love her or not, you can’t deny she’s been on a whole different level, making history one record at a time. But Kenya’s coach does have a point.

Not everyone was happy about Levrone’s win

When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was named 2024 Female Track Athlete of the Year, let’s just say not everyone was clapping. Fans didn’t hold back online, with one saying, “Nawwwwe… someone who only runs three races a year @worldathletics do better… smh.” Another added, “SMH, of course US bias… she’s not even top 3 for me.” But it wasn’t just fans speaking up; Kenyan coach Justin Lagat joined the conversation on X, pointing out Beatrice Chebet’s stellar season. He wrote, “Despite winning two Olympic gold medals in Paris, breaking the 10,000m world record (28 minutes!), and winning the World Cross Country title this year, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet could not beat USA’s Sydney Levrone for the Track Athlete of the Year award.” Chebet’s year was nothing short of historic, and people are wondering if she got snubbed.

Let’s break down what Chebet accomplished. At the Paris Olympics, she crushed it in the women’s 5000m and 10,000m, taking home double gold and beating Sifan Hassan and Gudaf Tsegay. Oh, and just a few months before that, she became the first woman ever to run 10,000m in under 29 minutes, setting a new world record. This left her as the first Kenyan ever to win the double distance Olympic gold medal at a single Games. This is why people were waiting for her to be awarded because there was nothing on her resume that indicated that she was not capable. But Sydney too made history this season! But why did Sydney receive this award?

To add some spice, though, World Athletics decided to overhaul its awards structure in 2024. For the last three years, the World Athletics Series has introduced categories reflecting male and female athletes and fan votes for the World Athlete of the Year after the selection of finalists. Well, basically it was all up to the fans! The updated system might have created controversy, but it shows how hard that is when athletes are from totally different events. Whether you’re Team Sydney or Team Chebet, one thing’s clear: as it is said, 2024 was a remarkable year in terms of phenomenal work. But we can not deny that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone very much deserves to be crowned the 2024 Female Track Athlete of the Year and why.

Why Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone deserved the 2024 World Athletics Female Track Athlete of the Year Award

First off, if there is an athlete who has been running circles around the competition in the 400m hurdles, it is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. At the Paris Olympics, she wasn’t just satisfied with taking the gold—she proceeded to obliterate her own world record set at 50.37 seconds. That’s not just fast; that’s history. No other athlete has been able to defend their Olympic title in the event; she was the first woman to do so. And of course, the 4 x 400m relay in which she contributed to helping Team USA win yet another gold, which makes her inventory five Olympic golds in the two games.

And you ought not to also ignore how she has risen again after such failures. She had to sit out 2023 Worlds because of an injury, but guess what happened when the year 2024 came? She came out swinging. She opened the season by posting the year’s best time in the 400m flat, and then, aside from making the cut in the Olympic Trials with a world record in the hurdles, she did it again in Paris. Besides, since 2019, she hasn’t recorded a defeat when competing in the 400m hurdles. For five years straight, that’s the opposition with the most dominance. That’s why it’s extremely difficult to question her year, which has been nothing short of legendary.