Tokyo, Japan. – Dominican world champion
Marileidy Paulino secured her spot in the final of the
400 meters flat at the World Athletics Championships on Tuesday, after recording a time of
49.82 seconds in her semifinal heat.
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The sprinter from Don Gregorio, Peravia, crossed the finish line in second place, only behind the Polish
Natalia Bukowieka (49.67). Although she was dominating the race in the final meters, Paulino reduced the intensity and then accelerated upon realizing the proximity of the group, thus ensuring her direct qualification.
With this performance, Paulino will compete in her
third consecutive world final, after having won the
silver medal in Eugene 2022 and the
gold medal in Budapest 2023. The final is scheduled for this
Wednesday at 9:24 a.m. (local time), where she will seek to defend her title and make history as the second woman to repeat gold in the event, after the Australian
Cathy Freeman (1997 and 1999).
A Reign at Stake
Since the creation of the World Championship in 1983, Paulino is the
second Latin American to reach the top of the 400 meters, after the Mexican
Ana Guevara (2003), and the
third Caribbean, along with the Bahamians Tonique Williams-Darling (2005) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (2022).
If he achieves a new gold, he would join the also Dominican Félix Sánchez, who was a two-time world champion in the 400-meter hurdles (2001 and 2003).
Awards and expectations
The championship, organized by
World Athletics, distributes more than
8.5 million dollars in prizes. The individual champion will receive
70,000 dollars, while the finalists between second and eighth place will also be awarded.
