DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Spanish royal family formally recognized Dominican Republic’s athletic icon Marileidy Paulino on Wednesday during a high-profile ceremony at the Royal Palace of El Pardo. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presented Paulino with the prestigious Ibero-American Community Trophy (Trofeo Comunidad Iberoamericana) for 2023, an award honoring the athlete who most distinguished themselves in international sports throughout the year.

The recognition primarily celebrates Paulino’s historic gold medal in the 400 meters at the 2023 Budapest World Championships. At age 29, she secured her legacy as the first Dominican woman to ever stand atop a world championship podium in athletics—a feat she later cemented by capturing the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

While Paulino could not attend the ceremony in person due to her ongoing training and...