In August 2018, track sensation Sydney McLaughlin made seismic moves for her career. The Dunellen, NJ, native left the University of Kentucky, forgoing her remaining three years of NCAA eligibility to turn pro, moved out to Los Angeles, notched a blockbuster deal with New Balance worth a reported $1.5 million a year and signed with mega talent agency WME, which also represents LeBron James and Serena Williams.

The goal: The 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.

Two years earlier, when she was 16, “Syd the Kid” — as she was nicknamed — made a splash as the youngest athlete to make the US Olympic Track and Field team in 36 years. But she failed to advance to the finals for Rio. Finally, this year, the sprinter and hurdler was tipped to do big things.

But not even the Games could get over the hurdle of the coronavirus.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee and host country Japan made the painful decision to postpone the event until 2021, dashing countless dreams and throwing a wrench in the carefully-laid plans of elite athletes who’ve spent years chasing the gold in 2020.

“Personally, I agree with the decision,” McLaughlin told The Post. “Although it is unfortunate for all the athletes who have been working so hard up until this point, the safety and well-being of athletes, fans and coaches should be the first priority. This just gives us more time to prepare mentally and physically.”

As the pandemic has closed gyms and training facilities across the country, McLaughlin is staying fit by combining technology with a crude Rocky Balboa staple.

“My training partners and I have been doing workouts together via FaceTime,” she explained. “And for cardio, I either go for a run or use the stairwell in my building.”

Gold wasn’t the only goal for the Garden State sensation. she was also poised to become the next great crossover superstar (think Wheaties boxes, Gatorade ads and beauty campaigns). With stellar athletic talent, model good looks and social-media prowess, the stars were aligned for McLaughlin-mania.

On Instagram, the athlete has nearly 500,000 followers, who she entertains with comedic videos as well as trick shots on the basketball court. This past week, she posted a TikTok video of herself dancing through quarantine while peeling an array of wigs off her head.

“I am a clown!” said McLaughlin, who also knows how to juggle and ride a unicycle.

She compares her sense of humor to a mix of two characters from one of her favorite sitcoms, “The Office”: “I have the funny side of Jim and the attitude of Angela.”

One of four children, McLaughlin graduated from Union Catholic in Scotch Plains, NJ. Speed is in her blood.

Her father, Willie, was a semi-finalist in the 400 meters at the 1984 Olympic trials, her mother, Mary, ran track in high school, and her brother Taylor was a track star at the University of Michigan.

“My parents were very cautious [when I was] growing up not to run me too much. They didn’t let me run on a club team because they didn’t want me to burn myself out. They were strategic about spacing things out and progressively getting better and better every year,” McLaughlin said.

Her parents are still a big influence in her life, and her mom moved to Los Angeles with McLaughlin in 2018, to help the runner get settled in her new home. Mom has since returned to Jersey, but not before her daughter conquered one of her biggest fears: driving.

“I never used to drive in New Jersey. I was so scared of it. This is part of me becoming independent,” said McLaughlin.

She drives a black Mercedes named “Chili” — because she is big fan of the restaurant’s molten lava cake and even dressed up as a Chili’s employee for Halloween one year.

“Chili is my best friend. We go everywhere together,” cracked McLaughlin — who also named her Roomba “Pepper.”

And while the pressures of competing in professional sports can be very serious, she is determined not to let that get to her.

“Sometimes in the environment I am in now, it forces me to grow up, and I am kind of scared. I want to keep the lighter side of things.

“This is me being able to express the fun side.”

Photos: Stephen Yang; Stylist: Julia Morris/Utopia the Agency; Hair: T. Cooper/crowdMGMT using ECRU NY; Makeup: Markphong Tram/abtp.com using Shiseido; Location: The Armory, 216 Fort Washington Ave., Washington Heights.