Sydney McLaughlin Captures Lone Gold Medal for Team USA on Day 12 of Tokyo Olympics

(Photo : Michael Steele/Getty Images) TOKYO, JAPAN - Gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin of Team United States poses in front of the scoreboard after setting a new world record in the Women's 400-m Hurdles Final on day 12 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 04, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

Team USA remained in second place behind the People's Republic of China in the gold medal tally after Day 12 of the Tokyo Olympics. The Americans captured a total of six medals on Day 12, including a gold by Sydney McLaughlin in athletics. Team USA now has a total haul of 25 golds, 31 silvers, and 23 bronze medals.

The Chinese continued to tighten their grip at the top of the medal leaderboard, grabbing 32 golds, 22 silvers, and 16 bronzes thus far. Japan remains in third place with 21 golds, 7 silvers, and 12 bronze medals. Great Britain and Australia followed closely behind with 15 gold medals apiece, entering Day 13 of the Tokyo Olympics.

McLaughlin takes home Team USA's lone gold on Day 12

Sydney McLaughlin stole the show for Team USA on Day 12 of the Tokyo Games, bagging the gold medal in the women's 400-meter hurdles. McLaughlin grabbed the victory in style, posting a world record time of 51.46 seconds to dethrone American compatriot Dalilah Muhammad as the Olympic champion.

Muhammad, the reigning world champion, came in second with a time of 51.58 seconds, which is her personal best to give Team USA a 1-2 finish. The Netherlands' Femke Bol won the bronze medal with a time of 52.03 seconds.

It was an emotional win for McLaughlin, who shattered the world record for the second time this year. She first broke the world record back at the U.S. Olympic Trials, finishing with a time of 51.90 seconds to become the first female 400-meter hurdler to go sub-52.

McLaughlin first rose to prominence as a 16-year-old in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she became the youngest U.S. track and field Olympian in 44 years. She failed to medal in those Games, though, suffering an early exit in the semifinals.

She slowly improved on her times, though, finishing second to Muhammad's world-record races two years ago at the U.S. Championships and the World Championships. The journey is complete for McLaughlin, who can now call herself an Olympic gold medalist.

Frerichs and Bednarek win silvers on track

Also taking silver medals in track and field on Day 12 for Team USA were Courtney Frerichs and Kenny Bednarek. Frerichs won the silver medal in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase, finishing with a season-best time of 9:04.79. She pulled away from the pack with a mile to go, only trailing Uganda's Peruth Chemutai at the end.

Bednarek scored a huge upset on Wednesday, taking silver ahead of teammate Noah Lyles in the men's 200-meter final. Bednarek set a new personal best time of 19.68 seconds to finish ahead of Lyles, who took home the bronze. Canada's Andre de Grasse captured the Olympic gold medal for the first time in his career, finishing with a time of 19.62 seconds.