Olympic gold medalist Marileidy Paulino is under lots of pressure as she seeks to continue being the champion in the 400 m in the World Athletics’ Diamond League and as she prepares to set a world record. She already has the Olympic record in the 400m, set at 48.17 in the Paris Olympic Games.
She has on agenda the Diamond League in Silesia, Poland on 25 August, the Diamond League in Brussels, Belgium on 18 September and the Athlos NYC Invitational on 26 September.
Paulino definitely does not need the noise being created by would-be differences with fellow Olympic gold medal winner, Felix Sanchez, or past differences with the former Minister of Sports. But these have happened and have been covered in the media….
Felix Sanchez was the official coach for the track team at the Paris Olympics. Marileidy Paulino has stuck with her same coach Cuban Yaseen Perez. Perez had removed Marileidy Paulino from the 4 x 400 m relay in the Paris Olympics, mentioning the men in the team had not trained appropriately. These trained with Felix Sanchez, who has behind him the extraordinary feat of winning gold in the Athens 2004 Olympics and the London 2012 Olympics in the 400m hurdles.
Felix Sanchez coached Alexis Ogando who placed fifth in the Paris Olympics in the 200m with a time of 20.02. When Ogando trained with Perez, he was part of the 4 x 400m relay that won silver in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
A video has circulated showing a chilly salute Marileidy Paulino gave to Felix Sanchez at the Ministry of Sports event where the RD$15 million cash prize she received was delivered by now former Minister of Sports Francisco Camacho. Camacho once openly said that the Ministry had fulfilled all its commitments to Paulino. Paulino had requested more support for the sport and her coach after winning the Oregon World Championship in 2022.
During his term, Camacho had backed Felix Sanchez, yet publicly clashed with Marileidy Paulino. Paulino had complained several times about the delays in restoring the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium track to elite athlete condition. The Ministry of Sports under the four years of Camacho did not restore the track. Instead, the stadium was repeatedly rented out for shows that negatively impacted the track.
Camacho was not highly rated for his performance at the Ministry of Sports, despite his insistence he led the country’s most extensive sports installation renovation program. Sports chronicler William Aish, who writes in El Nuevo Diario, blasted Camacho for his dictatorship-style at the Ministry of Sports. He described Camacho as the worst sports minister in history. Camacho is now out, replaced by the now former Mayor of La Vega, Kelvin Cruz.
On Monday, 19 August 2024, Paulino and Felix Sanchez would exchange in “insightful tweets”, speaking through legendary quotes of sage men.
Regardless, now with Camacho removed, there seems to be a national intent that the waters flow and while the episode was reported, the bad feelings be buried. It is in the nation’s interest to bring peace of mind so that Marileidy Paulino can concentrate on what she does best – win championships and break records for the DR.
On Monday, 19 August 2024 Marileidy Paulino and fellow Paris Olympics medal winners Yunior Alcantara and Cristian Pinales were received by President Luis Abinader and First Lady Raquel Arbaje and by Vice President Raquel Peña at the Presidential Palace. One could imagine the President told the athletes to concentrate on their sports, “call me for anything,” he most likely told them.
Also present at the meeting with President Luis Abinader were new Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz; the president of the Dominican Olympic Committee Garibaldy Bautista; the president of Centro Caribe Sports and former president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, Luisin Mejía Oviedo; the executive director of Creando Sueños Olímpicos (CRESO), Manuel Luna and Marileidy Paulino’s coach, Yassen Pérez.
Follow the story:
Presidency
El Nuevo Diario
El Nuevo Diario
El Nuevo Diario – William Aish
Hoy
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
CDN
Twitter Felix Sanchez
El Show del Mediodia
20 August 2024