Marileidy Paulino advances to 400m final at Santo Domingo 2026

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Olympic and world champion Marileidy Paulino advanced to the women’s 400-meter final on Tuesday after a commanding performance at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Competing at the Félix Sánchez Stadium in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, the “Gazelle of Don Gregorio” comfortably won her semifinal heat in 50.63 seconds to secure her place in the final, where she will be the overwhelming favorite to capture the gold medal.

Paulino electrified the home crowd as she powered through the final bend before cruising down the home stretch with her trademark composure to cross the finish line well ahead of the competition.

Shafigua Maloney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished second in 51.22 seconds, while Puerto Rico’s Andrea Rivera placed third with a time of 51.78.