Marileidy Paulino advances to 400m Grand Final

Tokyo.- Dominican athlete Marileidy Paulino secured second place in her heat with a time of 49.82 seconds, qualifying for the 400 meters final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Paulino finished just behind Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka (49.67) and narrowly ahead of Norway’s Henriette Jaeger (49.87), who was eliminated.

“I wanted to expend as little energy as possible to reach the final. I’m motivated to improve myself as long as my age and physique allow. God and I will make history here,” Paulino said after the race. Her main rival in the final will be American Sidney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion, who expressed confidence following her semifinal performance.

The final will also feature Cuban Roxana Gómez, a five-time national champion, who finished her semifinal in 49.78 seconds, posting the sixth-best time among the eight qualifiers. Paulino enters the final with strong momentum, aiming to challenge the top contenders and make a mark on the global stage.

The Grand Final is scheduled for Thursday, the 18th, at 9:24 p.m. Dominican time.