Marileidy Paulino wins the 400m at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (© Getty Images)
History beckoned for the eight finalists in the women’s 400m at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, but it was Marileidy Paulino that responded best.
The 26-year-old laid it all out on the track and from lane seven, cutting a dominant figure and taking down her competitors one after the other on her way to glory.
She overtook Sada Williams – her last opponent – on the bend, then blazed down the home straight, widening the gap with each stride to cross the line in a national record of 48.76, becoming the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win an individual world title.
She also becomes her country’s second individual world champion after two-time 400m hurdles winner Felix Sanchez.
Paulino took off 0.22 her former lifetime best, moving to 11th on the world all-time list.
The mixed 4x400m gold medallist from last year’s World Championships in Oregon is already a historic figure in her home country and has been a revelation since storming to two global silver medals behind Shaunae Miller-Uibo at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and in Oregon last year.
In Tokyo, she and relay teammate Anabel Medina became the first Dominican women to win an Olympic medal. With her 400m and mixed relay silvers in Tokyo, she also became the first Dominican athlete to win more than one medal in a single edition of the Olympics.
With world leader Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (48.74) pulling out of this year’s World Championships with a knee injury, and defending champion Miller-Uibo not yet – understandably – in full racing form since giving birth just four months ago, Paulino started as the pre-event favourite.
But several other contenders had looked good throughout the rounds, too.
Take for instance, Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, on the inside of Paulino in lane six, who came through for second 49.57. She had already recorded a PB of 49.48 at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia to become the second Polish woman after Irena Szewinska to break 50 seconds for 400m. She also won at the Diamond League meetings in Florence and Monaco.
Tonight she became the first Polish athlete to win a world 400m medal.
Commonwealth champion Sada Williams, who was in lane eight, enjoyed a bright start before fading slightly. She did, however, rebound in time to hold off Irish sensation Rhasidat Adeleke to take a second consecutive bronze in 49.60 to the latter’s 50.13.
The 25-year-old had looked impressive on the road to the final, easily winning her heat in 50.78 and setting a national record of 49.58 to place second to Kaczmarek in the semifinals.
Belgium’s Cynthia Bolingo, who had set a national record of 49.96 in the semifinals, and Lieke Klaver both clocked 50.33 in fifth and sixth, with Jamaica’s Candice McLeod (51.08) and USA’s Talitha Diggs (51.25) completing the line-up.
Yemi Olus-Galadima for World Athletics
| WOMEN'S 400m MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Marileidy Paulino 🇩🇴 DOM | 48.77 NR |
| 🥈 | Natalia Kaczmarek 🇵🇱 POL | 49.57 |
| 🥉 | Sada Williams 🇧🇧 BAR | 49.60 |
| Full results | ||
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