The 22-year-old American crushed her record of 51.41 seconds established in June when she crossed the finish line in 50.68 seconds, leaving her competitors in the dust.
McLaughlin said, “The timing is really incredible and the sport is becoming quicker and faster.”
“From here, I can only become faster.”
Femke Bol of the Netherlands, who won bronze at the 2016 Tokyo Olympics, won silver in 52.27, beating off Dalilah Muhammad of the United States.
The world record was held by Muhammad when he broke it twice in 2019; on the second time, he ran 52.16 to defeat McLaughlin and win the gold in the most recent global championships in Doha.
However, McLaughlin has now run five of the six quickest times in history after bettering that record four times in the previous 13 months.
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Her winning time was quicker than the marks for seventh and eighth in the women’s flat 400-meter final, which was run 30 minutes earlier on the same track.
After the Covid outbreak forced the sport to be played behind closed doors, McLaughlin said that the support of her family and supporters helped motivate her to reach new heights.
She said, “The final 100 hurt, but I’m thankful to have this audience.
“Being surrounded by my family in the stands was really surreal. They have never been in one spot with me.”
Second-placed Bol said that seeing McLaughlin’s speed in person was strange.
Bol said, “It was wild.” “I constantly questioned if I had a decent race since she was so far ahead at the finish line even though it felt great.
“She also broke the 51-second barrier, which is significant.
“To be a part of it and finish second in such a race is incredible, but great.”
McLaughlin again suggested that she may move the events, with a transfer to the 400-meter flat seeming most probable.
In an interview with NBC, she said, “Me and [coach Bobby Kersee] are going to go back after the season and determine whether this is still an event I still want to do, or if we’re going to find something new since we’ve done so much in it.”
