Hurdles queen Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins 400m flat at US trials

• Hurdles star nearly breaks US 400m flat record

• Patterson wins men's 400m after UPS day job

• Russell, Hiltz, Koech also clinch world spots

Hurdles queen Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone stormed to victory in the 400m at the US track and field trials on Saturday to book her spot at the World Athletics Championships, narrowly missing the American record in her weaker event.

The twice-Olympic champion, who elected to run the flat 400 rather than her signature 400m hurdles in a move that raised eyebrows, took the lead after the first 100m and never looked back to cross in a season's best 48.90 seconds, two tenths off the American record set by Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.