Sydney McLaughlin shattered her world record by a whopping 0.73 seconds Friday, blazing through the 400-meter hurdles in 50.68 seconds for her first career gold medal at world championships.
The 22-year-old obliterated the field in setting the first world record of these championships. More impressively, it marked the fourth straight major race in which she's bettered the mark.
"It's unreal," McLaughlin said in the post-race interview on the track.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands finished second in 52.27 - that's a 1.59-second difference - and defending world champion Dalilah Muhammad finished third in 53.13 - a time that would've won the race going away a mere seven years ago.
On a clear, perfect, 72-degree night at Hayward Stadium, McLaughin left Bol and Muhammad behind by the 150-meter mark. When the American reached the final curve, it was clear this would strictly be a race against the clock.
When she finished, she bent to the ground, looked at the scoreboard and said, "That's great, that's great." She clutched her knees and smiled. A minute later, the mascot, Legend the Bigfoot, photo bombed her while holding a sign saying: "World records are my favorite food."
Her's, too. After the medals ceremony, World Athletics President Seb Coe presented McLaughlin with a check for $100,000 - the bonus for anyone who sets a world mark at this meet.
"Honestly, I just wanted to run and go for it," she said. "That last 100 really hurt."
The 400-hurdles record had sat on the books for 16 years when Muhammad lowered it to 52.20 at U.S. Championships in Iowa in 2019.
Since then, either she or Muhammad have broken it at every major meet: Muhammad at 2019 worlds (52.16), then McLaughlin at last year's Olympic trials (51.90), the Olympics (51.46), nationals this year (51.41), and, now, this.
McLaughlin has set three of those four records on this very track at Hayward Stadium. She has turned what used to be the best one-on-one showdown in sports - her vs. Muhammad - into a one-woman show for the time being.