Lots of athletes give thanks to God after a big win. Fewer name a specific Bible verse that stuck out to them during their training. Track and field superstar Sydney McLaughlin did both after winning the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles event at the World Athletics Championships and breaking her own world record in the process.
“These past few days getting ready for this race, Hebrews 4:16 has been on my mind — coming boldly to his throne to receive mercy and grace. And I think (God) really gave me the strength to do it today, so all the glory goes to God,” she said to NBC Sports after her big win.
McLaughlin shared the same verse in an Instagram post about her record-setting performance.
“Preparing for this meet, the core of my team was centered around faith and belief. The amount of prayer coupled with hard work was divinely culminated in 50.68 seconds. By the grace of God, we accomplished our goal,” she wrote.
In the same post, McLaughlin encouraged fellow runners to continue trusting in God as they chase their goals.
“Let’s continue pushing the bounds of the sport, because with God, all things are possible,” she said.
McLaughlin, who is 22, also won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics. She first broke the world record in the event in July 2021 and has beaten her own time three times since then.
“From 1984 to 2019 (35 years), the record improved 1.42 seconds. In 13 months, McLaughlin has improved it 1.48 seconds,” the Deseret News reported after her most recent run at the World Athletics Championships.
McLaughlin regularly speaks about her faith on social media and in post-race interviews. Her Twitter bio is “child of God.”