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Marileidy Paulino, silver medallist in Tokyo three years ago, went one better in the women’s 400m in Paris tonight as she set an Olympic record of 48.17 to become the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win a gold in any sport at the Games.
The historic element of the race was compounded by the fact that this was the first time in a women’s 400m race that the top three all finished inside 49 seconds, with Bahrain’s 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser getting silver in 48.53 and Poland’s European champion Natalia Kaczmarek earning bronze in 48.98.
On a track glistening after recent rain, Paulino, in lane six, remained composed as Naser took up the early running two lanes outside her.
By the time the field came into the finishing straight, Paulino held a lead which she extended all the way to the line which she crossed well ahead of those striving behind her.
“It’s the only medal that I was missing to complete the Olympic cycle,” Paulino said. “I’m very thankful to God, for myself, for my job. I have been working really hard to achieve this goal.
“I’m very happy, I still cannot believe that just happened. It was either going for the world record or the Olympic record, and thank God, I achieved the Olympic record.
SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS
