San Diego-born Michael Norman dusted a world-class field in his return to the 400-meter dash Saturday at the Los Angeles Grand Prix at UCLA. His old USC teammate Rai Benjamin — also making his season debut in his signature event — ran the fastest time in the world this season in the 400-meter hurdles.
But it was a 24-year-old hurdler running her first legal-wind 200-meter dash* since 2018 who most delighted the crowd at half-filled Drake Stadium.
Olympic and world champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the world record holder in the one-lap hurdles, defeated a field worthy of this summer’s Paris Olympics, including Olympic bronze medalist Gabby Thomas and 2022 U.S. champion Abby Steiner, the NCAA record-holder.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s half-lap time of 22.07 seconds (into a 0.3 meters-per-second headwind) is the No. 2 mark in the world this season.
“Honestly, I would have loved to have got 21.99, but I’m really happy with that,” she said of an event she’ll likely leave behind for another year.
Her focus is on defending her Tokyo Games title in the 400-meter hurdles, and again defeating Dutch superstar Femke Bol, who also boasts scorching sprint marks.
In a nationally televised meet with sensational marks in almost all events, Benjamin, 26, appeared to have the easiest time getting to the finish line.
His world-leading hurdle mark of 46.64 — the No. 9 time in history — broke the stadium record of 47.45 by Edwin Moses in 1977. That was a global record at the time.
In the flat 400, 2022 world champion Norman, 26, clocked 44.53 a year after saying he was focusing 100% on the 100-meter dash. He turned back 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James, 31, of Grenada, who took second in 44.86. (He first broke 45 in 2011.)
In the discus, 2023 world champion Laulauga “Lagi” Tausaga of Spring Valley took fourth behind 2021 Olympic champion Valerie Allman in an event held Friday night.
Tausaga’s best throw of five was 60.83 meters (199 feet, 7 inches) as Allman had five throws good enough to win, topped by a 67.93 (222-10) in round three, beating world-leading Yaime Perez of Cuba by more than nine feet.
In the triple jump, Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts, 32, who won three NCAA titles while competing for San Diego State University, finished a silly centimeter behind Thea LaFond, 30, of Dominica, 14.37 (47-1 3/4) to 14.36 (47-1 1/2).
McLaughlin-Levrone’s dash heroics may not have been her most impressive performance Saturday. Between interviews on the field and in a nearby media area, she unpinned her race bib — and gave the sheet to a young girl in the stands.
Long after the last event, with other athletes gone, McLaughlin-Levrone posed for selfies and signed autographs — perhaps setting a stadium record for hanging out with the fans.
*An earlier version of this report incorrectly said McLaughlin-Levrone ran her first 200-meter dash since 2018. She ran a wind-aided 22.38 on May 4 at the Occidental College.