Olympians Are "Shook" About Sydney McLaughlin's Return To The Short Hurdles

Olympians Are "Shook" About Sydney McLaughlin's Return To The Short Hurdles

Olympian hurdlers react to news that world junior record holder Sydney McLaughlin will focus on 100m hurdles next year at the University of Kentucky.

Jun 30, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
Olympians Are "Shook" About Sydney McLaughlin's Return To The Short Hurdles
When Sydney McLaughlin won the Gatorade National Track & Field Athlete of the Year award this week, the world junior record holder told the press that she won't be returning to her specialty, the 400m hurdles, next year. Instead, she'll focus on the 100m hurdles and long jump during her freshman year at the University of Kentucky. This is an athlete who made the 2016 Olympic team as a 16-year-old, so needless to say, several Olympian short hurdlers are, well, "shook."



McLaughlin retweeted and liked Nia Ali's tweet, so it looks like it's all in good fun. Ali is the silver medalist from Rio and the only athlete from last year's U.S. sweep of the 100m hurdles to make the World Championships squad in London, as Olympic champion Brianna Rollins is in the midst of a year-long suspension from competition and bronze medalist Kristi Castlin placed sixth in the U.S. final.

Who didn't tweet? World record holder and U.S. champion Keni Harrison, who trains with Edrick Floreal at the University of Kentucky, aka she'll be McLaughlin's training partner next year. Harrison told us before USAs last week that she wants to try the 400m hurdles during the off year in 2018.

#FloKnows...