Marileidy Paulino became the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win a gold medal, and she did it in style at the Paris Olympics. Paulino ran an Olympic record time of 48.17 seconds in the 400m final to finish ahead of Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser and Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek.
In Tokyo, three years ago, Paulino took the silver. So this race felt like unfinished business for the Dominican. And she seemed to approach it as such, moving through the heats and the semifinals as the heavy favorite. Once in the defining race, Paulino did not disappoint herself or a country that had their eyes on the history she could make.
Even that silver from Tokyo, which felt like a disappointment, was a big deal. It was the first individual medal for a woman from the Dominican Republic at the Olympic Games. The thing with Paulino, however, was that she always aspired to more. And on August 9th, 2024, with a gold medal and an Olympic record, it feels like Paulino has finally reached her goal.
Paulino is the first athlete from the Dominican Republic to win gold since Félix Sánchez in London 2012. She was one of the flagbearers for the Dominican Republic at the Opening Ceremony.
“If it is necessary (to break the record) to win the gold medal, I will do it,” Paulino had said before the race. She went ahead and did just that.
“Marileidy Paulino makes us proud once again! 🥇🇩🇴 With her gold at @Paris2024 and an Olympic record of 48.15 seconds, she has elevated the name of the Dominican Republic to the highest level. You are an inspiration to us all, Marileidy! 🌟 #DominicanPride #Paris2024” the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader posted on X.