Athletes to Watch: Sydney McLaughlin At age 17 in Rio, Sydney McLaughlin was the youngest U.S. Olympian in track and field since 1972. Considered a star in the making, she was twice named the Gatorade Girls National High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year (2016, 2017). The New Jersey native went pro after her freshman season at University of Kentucky, where in addition to her signature event – 400m hurdles – she also showed her strengths in sprints, long jump and short hurdles. 2019 has been a breakout year for her so far – she is undefeated in the 400m hurdles and holds the world’s fastest time this year in that event (as of July 15, 2019). She can also juggle on a unicycle and has worked with kids at a juggling camp. Visit Sydney's Team USA profile Athlete Info Sport Track and Field Height 5'9" Weight 132 Date of Birth August 7th, 1999 Hometown Dunellen, NJ Current Residence Los Angeles, CA Trivia Sydney volunteers for the Central Jersey Chapter of Hope Worldwide where she distributes fire safety and disaster relief information to residents on behalf of the American Red Cross. Grow your Olympic knowledge Mariah: A Boxer’s Dream 16-year-old Navajo boxer Mariah Bahe is fighting against all odds to become the first female Native American Olympic boxer. Origin Stories: Brooke Raboutou Some people describe Brooke Raboutou's family as the Incredibles, which may explain her ability to compete at such a high level. So You Want to Try Ski Jumping? You don’t need wings to fly. Athletes to Watch: Simone Manuel Learn more about swimmer Simone Manuel. RowToTokyo: Nick Mead Nick Mead discusses the pressure that goes along with being an Olympic athlete, and how he tries to overcome it. Athletes to Watch: Vashti Cunningham Learn more about high jumper Vashti Cunningham. View More sports in this article Track & Field tags in this article 2020 Summer Olympics Athletes to Watch Fan SportsEngine