Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shattered the nearly 40-year-old record in the women's 400 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking an astonishing 47.78 seconds. This is the first time a woman has broken the 48-second barrier since 1985. Second-place finisher Marileidy Paulino also ran a sub-48-second race (47.98). McLaughlin-Levrone's victory marks her first global title in the 400 meters, adding to her dominance in the 400m hurdles. The race highlighted the exceptional competitiveness and improvement in women's 400m sprinting.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.