Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the 2024 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year

by:Nick Roush•01/28/25•

RoushKSR

Former Kentucky track star and Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is honored as part of UK's Hall of Fame Class at Kroger Field - Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio — Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

It had to be Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. After breaking world records and winning medals at the Summer Olympics in Paris, the former UK track star was named Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year.

McLaughlin-Levrone broke her record in the 400-meter hurdles twice, culminating in a 50:37 run for gold in Paris. She’s shattered the record six times throughout her illustrious career. She also won a gold medal in the women’s 4×400 relay. It’s abundantly clear that the 25-year-old is the fastest woman in the world from 400 meters.

After her successful summer, McLaughlin-Levrone returned to her Old Kentucky Home where she was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. The hurdler was an NCAA Champion in 2018, her one season in Lexington.

Kentucky baseball coach Nick Mingione finished second in the voting, followed by Travis Perry in third. The former Lyon County star won the honor in 2023 after shattering King Kelly Coleman’s longtime scoring record. Only two points separated Perry and Mingione, who were 351 behind the top vote-getter.

Kenny McPeek came in fourth after he became the first trainer since 1952 to win the Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby Double. Another Olympian, fencer Lee Kiefer, finished fifth.

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This is the 44th year the Herald-Leader has named a Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year. Mark Story is the proprietor of the polling of more than 130 sports media figures around the state, a task that is a mighty undertaking.

McLaughlin-Levrone is only the third woman to win the award and the first since UK gymnast Jenny Hansen in 1994.

Kentucky 2024 Sports Figure of the Year Results

*First place votes are in parenthesis.

1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, track & field (40) 1,004
2. Nick Mingione, baseball (14) 653
3. Travis Perry, basketball (15) 651
4. Kenny McPeek, horse racing (19) 605
5. Lee Kiefer, fencing (11) 578
6. Reed Sheppard, basketball (5) 561
7. Lamar Jackson, football (6) 465
8. Walker Buehler, baseball (5) 303
9. Dani Busboom Kelly, volleyball (3) 225
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, basketball (1) 188
11. ZaKiyah Johnson, basketball (2) 182
12. Chad Pennington, football 172
13. Anna DeBeer, volleyball (1) 151
14. Masai Russell, track & field 139
15. Donna Moir, basketball (1) 138