What to know about the Dominican sprinter and gold winner – NBC New York

Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino had her eyes on the prize — to win the gold medal in the women’s 400-meter final at the 2024 Paris Olympics Friday afternoon — and she did just that, all while setting an Olympic Record!

With the win Paulino becomes the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win gold and the first Dominican Olympian to take gold since Félix Sánchez in London 2012, when he dominated the 400m hurdles.

Paulino dominated the qualifying round and the semi-final to become a top contender for the final. In both events, it was notable how Paulino slowed down in the metres before the finish line.

Paulino came close to taking gold in Tokyo, but had to settle for silver in the individual event and in the mixed 4x400m relay.

“If it is necessary (to break the record) to win the gold medal, I will do it,” Paulino said.

And that she did.

The Olympic record for the women’s 400m belongs to the French Marie-José Pérec, who clocked 48.25 in Atlanta 1996. Paulino easily surpassed Pérec’s record clocking in 48.17. (The world record of 47.60 has been held by the German Marita Koch since 1985.)

Without the reigning Olympic champion from the Bahamas, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the Bahraini sprinter Salwa Eid Nasser, who was world champion in Doha 2019, is a top rival for Paulino. Nasser clocked the best time in the semi-finals (49.08). Another rival is the Polish Natalia Kacz Marek.

The 27-year-old, the second youngest of six siblings, has no sporting background in the family, according to her official Olympics biography. She grew up playing pick-up sports in her native Don Gregorio, located an hour away from Santo Domingo.

Her athletic abilities were noticed when she was 18 and playing handball. According to the Olympics.com, it was at that time that the country’s sports minister noticed her talent and she was recruited to the athletics federation.

Paulino was eventually offered a monthly salary to join the Dominican Air Force as a track and field athlete, a sport she started to really dedicate and focus her time on in 2015.

Although she started out as a 100m and 200m sprinter, she moved to 400m in 2020.

“I started running barefoot, then wore socks, running shoes and then borrowed spikes until I was able to buy a pair,” she previously told Olympics.com. 

Paulino was chosen as a flag bearer for the Dominican Republic in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone obliterated her own world record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, retaining her Olympic title with a time of 50.37 seconds.