Marileidy Paulino did in Tokyo what no other Dominican athlete has accomplished – win two medals in an Olympic Games. Yes, two. The first came in the historic first-ever 4 x 400 Mixed Relay, where the DR came in second behind Poland and ahead of the United States. Marileidy Paulino’s run made the biggest difference in that race.
Her second silver medal came early on 6 August on Friday morning (Dominican time) when Paulino clocked in a national record 49.20 and beat everyone but defending champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo from the Bahamas. Behind Paulino was 35-year old Allyson Felix, who in Tokyo would win her 11th medal (eight golds, three silvers and one bronze), making Felix the track and field athlete to have won the most Olympic medals ever.
As a result of her double win, Paulino should receive at least RD$10 million from the government — RD$8 million for her 400 m individual medal and RD$2 million for her part in the 4 x 400 Relay medal). Besides that, she has received, along with other Dominican medal winners, offers of a year’s worth of groceries at the Bravo Supermarket chain. Radio station Z-101 has announced that it will give Paulino a new house for her family. Club Body Shop offered free three-year membership to all Olympic medalists.
In the closing week of Tokyo 2020, the Dominican baseball team won bronze. President Luis Abinader is planning to receive the medalists at the Presidential Palace this week as soon as all are back from Japan.
Curiously, Paulino comes from the same place as Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, the tiny town called Don Gregorio in Peravia province, near Nizao.
The most outstanding Dominican Olympic athlete is Felix Sanchez, who won a gold in the 400m hurdles in the Athens 2004 and another gold in the London 2021 Olympics in the same event.
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Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
9 August 2021