Former Kentucky stars McLaughlin-Levrone and Holmes lead Team USA to gold in 4x400 relay

Former University of Kentucky track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added to her career Olympic medal haul while fellow ex-Wildcat Alexis Holmes earned her first Saturday in Paris.

The pair were key parts of the United States’ gold medal-winning squad that set an American Olympic record (3:15.27) in dominant fashion, while the Netherlands (3:19.50) took silver and Great Britain (3:19.72) won bronze. Shamier Little led off for the U.S. and handed off to McLaughlin-Levrone, who then provided a huge lead that proved insurmountable. Gabby Thomas ran the third leg and Holmes finished off the victory as the team’s anchor.

McLaughlin-Levrone ran her leg in 47.7 seconds. That was the fast split in the 4x400 relay since 1982, according to World Athletics.

The United States’ time was the second-fastest in history, .1 seconds short of the world record set by the USSR in 1988. The Americans have won the event in eight straight Olympics.

“I think this generation of track and field is just on a different level,” McLaughlin-Levrone said, according to a report by the Associated Press. “Everything is improving, including us, including our technique, including how we prepare. I don’t think anything is impossible at this point.”

It was McLaughlin-Levrone’s second gold medal of this Games and the fourth of her career. She has won the 400-meter hurdles and been part of the winning 4x400-meter relay squads in both Tokyo and Paris.

Holmes finished sixth in the 400 hurdles in Paris, her Olympic debut.

Former UK track and field stars had already earned three medals in hurdles in Paris in addition to McLaughlin-Levrone’s world record in the 400 hurdles: Masai Russell took gold and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn bronze in the women’s 100-meter hurdles while Daniel Roberts won silver in the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Six total medals is a program best for Kentucky.

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