highly enantioselective synthesis of florfenicol via a new intermediate threo-dihydroxy ester, with a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as the key step, is reported. A ring-opening/reduction strategy avoids the formation of a chlorinated byproduct that occurs in Schumacher’s phenyloxazoline procedure. The overall yield of florfenicol by this new process is 23% based on 4-(methylsulfonyl)benzaldehyde