Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — Dominican sprinting legend and reigning Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino has cemented her status as one of the region’s greatest athletes, securing another milestone win at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games hosted in her home country.
Competing in the women’s 400-meter sprint at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium, Paulino defied challenging racing conditions to claim the top spot on the podium. A steady heavy rain soaked the track throughout the race, and thousands of local spectators packed the stadium stands, staying through the poor weather to cheer on their hometown star. When Paulino crossed the finish line, her time of 48.94 seconds secured the gold medal — and shattered her own previous regional games record.
Paulino first set the Central American and Caribbean Games 400-meter benchmark at the 2023 San Salvador edition, where she clocked a 49.95 second run. Her latest performance cut a full 1.01 seconds off that existing record. This victory also marks Paulino’s second gold medal at the 2026 Santo Domingo Games, and a successful title defense of her regional 400-meter championship.
Rounding out the podium, Cuban sprinter Roxana Gómez took home the silver medal with a final time of 49.99 seconds, while Shafiqua Maloney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines claimed bronze after finishing in 51.77 seconds.
Even with the slippery track and wet conditions creating an added hurdle for competitors, Paulino turned in a commanding, dominant performance from start to finish. The historic run sent the packed home crowd into celebration, as fans got to watch one of the Dominican Republic’s most decorated athletes add another iconic achievement to her already illustrious career right on home soil.