American athlete Sydney McLaughlin pulverized the women’s 400m hurdles world record at the US Olympic preliminaries on Sunday.
The 21-year-old ran an amazing 51.90 seconds, crushing the past record by .26 seconds to become the first woman to run the 400m hurdles in less than 52 seconds.
During the time spent winning, McLaughlin beat the past world record holder Dalilah Muhammad to solidify herself as the top choice for the Tokyo Games this year.
Following an incredible completion, McLaughlin sank to her hindquarters, mouth expanding in shock.
“This season, working with my new coach and just my new support system, it’s truly just faith and trusting the process, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said McLaughlin after the race.
Authorities said temperatures beat 43C (109F) in Oregon, US – a record heat for the town during the day – making a few races be deferred until the evening.
It didn’t prevent competitors from running fast times though.
Noah Lyles set a world-leading time of 19.74 seconds in the men’s 200m, while Athing Mu, 19, became the second-fastest American woman to run 800m.