Marileidy Paulino wins 400m gold despite heavy rain

Santo Domingo.- Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino added another historic achievement to her career by winning the gold medal in the women’s 400 meters at the athletics competition of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026.

Racing in heavy rain before a packed crowd at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium, Paulino crossed the finish line in 48.94 seconds, breaking the Central American and Caribbean Games record she had previously set with 49.95 seconds at the San Salvador 2023 edition. The victory also marked her second gold medal of the Santo Domingo 2026 Games and allowed her to successfully defend her regional title.

Cuba’s Roxana Gómez claimed the silver medal after finishing in 49.99 seconds, while Shafiqua Maloney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines earned bronze with a time of 51.77 seconds.

Despite the challenging weather conditions, Paulino delivered a dominant performance on the rain-soaked track, delighting thousands of home fans who remained in the stands to witness another record-breaking run by the Dominican star.