US Christian runner Sydney McLaughlin ‘grateful” to represent ‘the Kingdom of God’ on record-setting day at worlds
By Evelyn Dearhurst
Sydney Mclaughlin, of the United States, wins the women's 4x400-meter relay final at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
EUGENE, Ore. (EEW Magazine Sports News) Sydney McLaughlin ran the last, victorious lap of world championships for the United States and won that race by a lot.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to represent not only the United States, but the Kingdom of God,” said the 22-year-old Christian athlete in a celebratory Instagram post.
America’s burgeoning speed star turned a close 4x400-meter relay into a laugher on the anchor leg Sunday, putting the final stamp on the first worlds held in the U.S. and delivering America’s record 33rd medal of the meet.
It was the 13th gold for the U.S., one short of the all-time mark.
AP
“These are the kinds of moments that last a lifetime, and I can do nothing apart from Him,” she wrote, giving credit to God for her success and quoting part of the words Jesus spoke in John 5:15.
In a previous post, McLaughlin let her faith shine through once again, quoting Hebrews 4:16: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
“Preparing for this meet, the core of my team was centered around faith and belief,” she explained. “The amount of prayer coupled with hard work was divinely culminated in 50.68 seconds. By the grace of God, we accomplished our goal.”
After taking the baton from Britton Wilson, McLaughlin turned a .73-second lead into a 2.95-second blowout over Jamaica, adding this burst of speed to the world record she set two nights earlier in the 400 hurdles, when she finished in 50.68.
This one was especially sweet, as it also marked the 14th and final world gold for 36-year-old Allyson Felix, another favorite, who came out of retirement to run in the preliminary of the 4x400 and, so, gets a medal. She finishes her career with a record 20 world medals, overall.
“She came back yesterday, and I was like, I mean, if we’re gonna go do it, we might as well do it big,” McLaughlin told The Associated Press of her conversation with Felix, a fellow Christian. “And I’m really happy for her amazing career.”
To conclude her grateful post, McLaughlin said, “Thank you so much to my coach, my husband, my team, my family, and all of my supporters. Let’s continue pushing the bounds of the sport, because with God, all things are possible! God bless.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
