In the world of track and field there are a few G.O.A.T.s (Greatest Of All Time), such as Usain Bolt in the short sprints, or Jessen Owens’ four golds in the Berlin Olympics, and currently Sydney Mclaughlin in the 400-meter hurdles. USA’s McLaughlin is the reigning world champion and has been undefeated for the past two years. McLaughlin has won two Olympic gold medals and three world championships.
McLaughlin attracted sports media’s attention when she chose to compete in the 400m at the Paris meeting of the Diamond League. Track aficionados were treated to two world records that would run in that race. The crowds waited with bated breath for the women’s 400 meter event in which not only McLaughlin would be running outdoors for the first time this year and not in her event but rather the 400 meters, but also to see 2019 world champion, Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain.
And oh yes, the world leader in the event this year, the Dominican, Marileidy Paulino, who had won the event in Doha and most recently at the USATF Championships in California, and who is undefeated at the 400 meters this year, was also running in that event, but was treated as the underdog by the media. All the pre-event attention was on McLaughlin, with only a slight, oh yes, there is this Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic if there was any mention at all.
However, at the end the race was not even close. Paulino defeated Mclaughlin by nearly 6/10ths of a second (0.6 seconds), 49.12 to McLaughlin’s 49.71. Naser came in at 49.95. Before the event, Paulino had told Dominican reporters that she was not going to worry about all the hype surrounding McLaughlin and Naser but would only concentrate on her race.
Even President Luis Abinader congratulated our young lady, who responded that her goal was an Olympic gold in Paris (on the same track) next year, and to replicate the saga of the other Dominican Olympic star, Felix Sanchez. Paulino won silver in the event in the Japan 2020 Olympics held in 2021.
American McLaughlin got off to a great start during the race, only to see Paulino overtake her in the home stretch. McLaughlin did set a personal best in the event. Yet Paulino would set a new record for the 400m in the competition.
What is most outstanding is that Dominican Olympian Paulino continues to train under less than favorable conditions. Her trainer continues to not be able to join her because of a visa issue. Contrary to other elite athletes, she has not had the services of a masseuse.
President Luis Abinader sent her a congratulatory tweet. Congratulations to Marileidy_P for her outstanding performance in the Diamond League in Paris!” wrote the President.
Meanwhile, the main track and field in the Dominican Republic, that at the Felix Sanchez Stadium continues in disrepair, awaiting action from the Ministry of Sports.
Marileidy Paulino posted in her Instagram account: “The mind plays an important role in our life and you know why 😇 my coach and I have been fighting day after day to obtain God’s grace and mercy for our humility and good heart. I have always had obstacles in my way like being two months in a camp preparing for this season without a masseuse and without my coach next to me for lack of a simple European visa, but thank God for giving me his blessing❤️🙏 but my body and soul is stronger than all the negative things.”
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Diamond League Paris highlights 2:35
12 June 2023