By Chris Chavez
May 28, 2023
Olympic and world championship silver medalist Marileidy Paulino became the first woman to break 49 seconds in the 400m in 2023 with her 48.98s victory at the Los Angeles Grand Prix.
What you need to know:
– Paulino improved upon her national record for the Dominican Republic by .01 seconds. She previously ran 48.99 to win the Diamond League title in Zurich last September.
– Paulino’s time is also the fastest performance this early in the season by any woman in history.
– She beat 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Nasser, who took second in 50.27. Lynna Irby Jackson ran 50.38 for third.
What comes next:
– Paulino is slated to race against 400m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400m at the Paris Diamond League on June 9. McLaughlin-Levrone has not raced a flat 400 since 2021 and her personal best is 50.07s from her collegiate days at Kentucky in 2018.
What She Thinks:
“There is no fear,” Paulino said when I asked about the match-up.
What We Think:
There’s a lot of excitement over McLaughlin-Levrone’s potential in the event because of that legendary 47.91s split at last year’s 4x400m at the World Championships. Paulino is the perfect opponent. The No. 1-ranked 400m runner has not lost a Diamond League race since September 2021. Paulino’s final 100 meters in Los Angeles were remarkable.
We were teased with this matchup for the LA Grand Prix before coach Bobby Kersee pulled McLaughlin-Levrone. Fingers crossed that he doesn’t do the same here. The fans just want to see McLaughlin-Levrone race before championship season.
– Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
