>>> WITH THE TOKYO OLYMPICS ONE
WEEK AWAY, WE ARE JOINED BY AN
ATHLETE TO WATCH.
BUT DONT BLINK OR YOULL MISS
HER.
21-YEAR-OLD SYDNEY McLAUGHLIN IS
BEING HAILED AS THE FUTURE OF
TRACK AND FIELD.
>> TWO WEEKS AGO, SYDNEY SET THE
WORLD RECORD IN 4 HUJ METER00 ME
HURDLES.
WOW.
SYDNEY McLAUGHLIN JOINING US AS
SHE PREPARES TO HEAD OFF TO
TOKYO CITY.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANKS FOR GETTING UP EARLY.
YOUVE BEEN RUNNING SINCE YOU
WERE 6 YEARS OLD.
YOU QUALIFIED FOR THE RIO GAMES
WHEN YOU WERE 16.
NO MEDALS IN RIO.
BUT A TIME OF FOLKS WHO WATCH
THE SPORT CLOSELY SAY THIS IS
YOUR TIME.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN THE
FIVE YEARS SINCE RIO?
>> SO MUCH.
IM SUPER GRATEFUL FOR THAT
OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK IT TAUGHT ME WHAT ITS
LIKE TO BE ON THE BIGGEST STAGE
IN THE WORLD TO COMPETE WITH THE
BIGGEST ATHLETES.
SO MANY THINGS FROM THAT WHOLE
YEAR THAT IM TAKING WITH ME
INTO TOKYO.
>> SYDNEY, RIGHT AFTER YOUR
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT, YOU
POSTED, QUOTE, MY FAITH WAS
BEING TESTED ALL WEEK FROM BAD
PRACTICES TO THREE FALSE START
DELAY TOES A MEET DELAY AND YOU
SAID I JUST KEPT HEARING GOD SAY
TALK JUST FOCUS ON ME.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
IS FAITH AT THAT PORTION OF YOUR
DRIVE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
COMING OUT OF COVID AND THE YEAR
OF SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY, I REALLY
FOUND STABILITY IN CHRIST AND IN
MY FAITH AND EVEN IN CRAZY MEETS
WHERE THERES SO MANY ON THE
LINE.
I ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO HOLD
ON TO.
>> AND I FEEL LIKE IN EVERY
SPORT THERES RITUALS, THERES
GOOD LUCK CHARMS, BUT YOUR ARE A
LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL.
WHATS IN YOUR BAGS?
>> I DO HAVE A LUCKY MINIONS
BLANKET THAT I TAKE TO EVERY
MEET.
I ALWAYS CHARGE UP BEFORE A RACE
WITH SOME GUMMY BEARS.
>> GUMMY BEARS.
>> HOW MANY GUMMY BEARS ARE WE
TALKING?
>> OKAY.
I -- LISTEN, I LOVE TO TRY TO
SELF-CONTROL, BUT IF IT ENDS UP
BEING THE WHOLE PACK, THEN I
CANT BE MAD AT MYSELF, YOU
KNOW?
>> I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY, IM
ABOUT TO START CHEWING GUMMY
BEARS.
>> THERES GOING TO BE A RUN ON
GUMMY BEARS COMING UP.
SO THERES BEEN SO MUCH OF A
SPOTLIGHT ON TRACK AND FIELD
INCLUDING THIS IDEA BETWEEN YOU
AND LILA MOHAMMED.
AND YOU BROKE THAT RECORD.
HOW DO YOU COPE WITH THAT KIND
OF PRESSURE?
AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERES A
RIVALRY?
>> YOU KNOW, MEDIA IS ALWAYS
GOING THE MAKE IT OUT TO BE
BIGGER THAN WHAT IT IS.
I LOOK AT IT AS IRON SHARPENING
IRON.
I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO RUN THESE
SUPER FAST TIMES IF I DIDNT
HAVE HER PUSHING ME THE SAME
WAY.
IM ALWAYS THERE TO KIND OF PUSH
HER.
SO ITS AWESOME TO JUST HAVE
SOMEONE THERE AND ALL OF US, YOU
KNOW, REPRESENTING TEAM USA.
ITS REALLY COOL TO JUST SEE US
GO BACK AND FORTH ALL THE TIME.
>> I MEAN, YOU TRAIN WITH THE
FAMOUS BOB PIERCESY WHO COACHED
HIS SIX-TIME WIFE AND ALEX
FELIX.
IS SHE THE ONE THAT YOU WATCH
COMPETE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING
UP?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I LOOKED UP TO ALLYSON THE WHOLE
TIME I WAS GROWING UP.
TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN WITH HER NOW
AND THE KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE AND
EXPERIENCE, I FEEL LIKE EVERY
DAY IM CONSTANTLY PICKING UP
AND LEARNING THINGS THAT I CAN
TAKE WITH ME THROUGHOUT MY
CAREER.
>> I WANT TO SQUEEZE THIS IN.
THE REALITY IS THERES A WHOLE
VILLAGE BEHIND THE ATHLETES.
DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS, YOUR
PARENTS, TRACK STARS FROM BACK
IN THE DAY WONT BE IN TOKYO.
WILL THAT BE HARD FOR YOU?
AND I UNDERSTAND THEY SENT YOU A
LITTLE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO TAKE
WITH YOU.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> THEY SENT YOU A CUT YOU YOT.
>> YES.
THEY COULDNT BE HERE FOR MY
BIRTHDAY, BUT IT WILL BE
DEFINITELY DISHT NOT HAVING THEM
THERE.
BUT I KNOW THEYLL BE SUPPORTING
ME AND STAYING UP TO WHATEVER
HOURS OF DAY THEY HAVE TO TO BE
ABLE TO TALK TO ME.
SO THEYLL BE THERE IN SPIRITS,
FOR SURE.
>> WHEN DO YOU HEAD OUT FOR
TOKYO?
>> I LEAVE ON THE 24th, SO NEXT
SATURDAY.
>> SO YOULL BE ON THE SAME
FLIGHT.
>> WE WILL SEE YOU IN TOKYO,
SYDNEY.
THANK YOU.
BEST OF LUCK.
>> GOOD LUCK.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND A REMINDER, FOLKS, IN
CASE YOU HADNT HEARD, CATCH ALL
THE ACTIONS FROM TOKYO STARTING
ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.
WATCH THE TOKYO OLYMPICS,