Star athlete Marileidy Paulino, Olympic silver medalist and reigning world champion in the 400m run, continues her preparation for the Paris Olympics this summer. In her second consecutive meeting of the Diamond League in Suzhou, China on Saturday, 27 April 2024, Paulino turned in a so-so victory at 50.89 seconds. She was far ahead of her competition.
In a post-race interview, she told reporters that this was not her best effort and she said she will be working on her start.
Paulino had already won a first Diamond event in Xiamen, China. She again received the US$10,000 cash award for the win. She could win a bonus of US$30,000 if she wins her next Diamond League race in the 400m.
Media reports are that she will face serious competition as the Diamond League shifts towards Europe and other stars such as Femke Bol from the Netherlands and Sydney MacLaughlin of the United States take to the track. Bol set a world indoor record for the 400 meters this winter, and MacLaughlin seems to be rounding into shape. In less than a month, MacLaughlin will run her first 400 meter hurdles in 20 months, and it is not known if Sydney, the World and Olympic champion at her event, will even try the 400 meters because outdoors is another world, and Marileidy is the queen of that realm having defeated MacLaughlin last year.
MacLaughlin and Paulino will both be participating in the USATF Grand Prix on 18 May. MacLaughlin will be doing the 400 hurdles and Paulino the 400 meter sprint. To get some idea of just how good MacLaughlin is, her world-record 50.68 for the 400 meter hurdles is faster than Paulino’s winning time in China last weekend. Paulino’s best time in the 400m is 48.76.
The ten Wanda Diamond League meetings are viewed as the perfect preparation for the world’s biggest sporting stage, the Paris Olympics. Indeed, the Meeting de Paris in particular, which falls just two weeks before the Games on 7 July 2024, is seen as a Diamond League dress rehearsal for Olympic opening night.
Marileidy Paulino won the Wanda Diamond Trophy and US$30,000 in prize money in the 400m in 2023.
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YouTube: Diamond League Suzhou race
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El Dia
30 April 2024