IT’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE Marileidy Paulino would have won the Budapest 400 regardless of who showed up. After all, her winning 48.76 — a Dominican Republic Record — made her the No. 11 all-time performer, displacing none other than Valerie Brisco and the 48.83 that brought the American Olympic gold in 1984.
But it’s less likely that she would have romped home with a clear 5-meter lead, untroubled by runner-up Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland, if a couple of other women had been fully fit.
Two-time Olympic and defending World champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo made a last-minute decision to “defend” her title, but only 4 months after giving birth, her fitness could only garner 7th in one of the heats.
Less expected was that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s ballyhooed storyline would derail. The undisputed all-time queen of 1-lap hurdling shifted to the flat 400 this year and was unquestionably a medal contender — she won USATF last month — but withdrew with a nagging knee injury. Formchart No. 2 Salwa Eid Naser withdrew from the meet at the eleventh hour citing an unspecified injury.
That left the 26-year-old Paulino with a visible if not guaranteed path to upgrade from the silvers she had won in Tokyo and Eugene.
Emerging talent Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands, enjoying her first sub-50 season, led the first 100 in 11.96, followed by Eugene bronze medalist Sada Williams of Barbados in 12.08.
Jamaica’s Candice McLeod then surged hard down the backstretch, overtaking Klaver to hit halfway in 22.63, with Paulino rising to 3rd.
Paulino — now looking like a different athlete than the one who placed 3rd to Kaczmarek and Klaver in the Chorzów DL lap a month ago — asserted herself strongly around the curve. Her 11.98 was at least 0.38 better than anyone else. With 300 remaining, she had less than a 1-meter lead over Klaver that would only grow. She closed in 13.42.
Behind her, the remaining medal picture churned. Briefly, Klaver clung to silver and Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, the NCAA champion for Texas, held bronze. Then Kaczmarek, putting in a 13.65 finish, swept past both, with Williams in tow. The Pole — only a semifinalist last year — took 2nd in 49.57 and Williams repeated her bronze capture in 49.60.
The USA’s only finalist, Talitha Diggs, finished last in 51.25. Other Americans: Lynna Irby-Jackson was the fastest non-qualifier (50.71 for 3rd in her semi) and Britton Wilson went out in the opening round, wheelchaired off the track.
“A lot of emotions are rushing through me,” said Paulino afterward. “It is always a bit difficult as I am here without my trainer. And even if he is far away now, he managed to help me. He was here with me in my mind and in my heart. I have also prepared mentally for this situation. Whenever I was competing in Europe, I had to come without my trainer, so I also trained for these situations.
“This national record means a lot to me. It is really incredible. But I have been preparing for this for a long time, working hard to achieve a goal like this. The gold medal was my dream, and I had the talent to turn this dream into reality.”
Said Kaczmarek, “I was ready to get the final in Eugene a year ago, but I got something like stomach flu. Hopefully, all my hard work paid off here. It is still difficult to believe that this silver medal is mine.”
Williams came away unsatisfied: “I am a little bit disappointed since I was not able to do better than last year, but of course winning back-to-back bronzes at the World Championships means a lot because there are a lot of top athletes in the 400 meters.
“I’m still hungry for success and hopefully I can step up the podium at the Olympic Games in Paris.”
WOMEN’S 400 RESULTS
FINAL (August 23)
1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 48.76 NR (11, x W)
(12.28, 11.08 [23.36], 11.98 [35.34], 13.42) (23.36/25.40);
2. Natalia Kaczmarek (Pol) 49.57
(12.30, 11.16 [23.46], 12.46 [35.92], 13.65) (23.46/26.11);
3. Sada Williams (Bar) 49.60
(12.08, 11.41 [23.49], 12.41 [35.90], 13.70) (23.49/26.11);
4. Rhasidat Adeleke (Ire) 50.13
(12.22, 11.32 [23.54], 12.36 [35.90], 14.23) (23.54/26.59);
5. Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo (Bel) 50.33
(12.19, 11.47 [23.66], 12.64 [36.30], 14.03) (23.66/26.67);
6. Lieke Klaver (Neth) 50.33
(11.96, 11.10 [23.06], 12.55 [35.61], 14.72) (23.06/27.27);
7. Candice McLeod (Jam) 51.08
(12.36, 10.27 [22.63], 13.77 [36.40], 14.68) (22.63/28.45);
8. Talitha Diggs (US) 51.25.
(lanes: 2. Mbongo; 3. McLeod; 4. Adeleke; 5. Klaver; 6. Kaczmarek; 7. Paulino; 8. Williams; 9. Diggs)
(reaction times: 0.145 Klaver, 0.167 McLeod & Diggs, 0.168 Kaczmarek, 0.181 Adeleke, 0.183 Williams, 0.190 Mbongo, 0.200 Paulino)
HEATS (August 20)
I–1. Kaczmarek 50.02 (fastest-ever first round of 3); 2. Mbongo 50.29; 3. McLeod 50.37; 4. Sharlene Mawdsley (Ire) 51.17 PR; 5. Gunta Vaičule (Lat) 51.36; 6. Alice Mangione (Ita) 51.57; 7. Miranda Coetzee (SA) 52.30; 8. Kateryna Karpiuk (Ukr) 52.66.
II–1. Klaver 50.52; 2. Ama Pipi (GB) 50.81; 3. Lynna Irby-Jackson (US) 50.81; 4. Susanne Gogl-Walli (Aut) 51.00; 5. Evelyn Aguilar (Col) 51.27 PR; 6. Kyra Constantine (Can) 52.28; 7. Nicole Caicedo (Ecu) 52.82; 8. Janet Richard (Mlt) 54.50.
III–1. Williams 50.78; 2. Paola Morán (Mex) 51.59; 3. Zeney Van Der Walt (SA) 51.76; 4. Cátia Azevedo (Por) 51.93; 5. Amandine Brossier (Fra) 51.98; 6. Imeobong Nse Uko (Ngr) 52.24; 7. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bah) 52.65; 8. Rosie Elliott (NZ) 52.88.
IV–1. Nickisha Pryce (Jam) 50.38; 2. Roxana Gómez (Cub) 50.86; 3. Gabby Scott (PR) 51.07; 4. Martina Weil (Chl) 51.35; 5. Grace Konrad (Can) 51.60 PR; 6. Giulia Senn (Swi) 52.66; 7. Fanni Rapai (Hun) 52.73 PR; 8. Britton Wilson (US) 53.87.
V–1. Adeleke 50.80; 2. Andrea Miklos (Rom) 51.24; 3. Tereza Petržilková (CzR) 51.30; 4. Henriette Jæger (Nor) 51.33; 5. Aliyah Abrams (Guy) 51.44; 6. Helena Ponette (Bel) 51.52 PR; 7. Mette Baas (Fin) 52.74; 8. Tabata de Carvalho (Bra) 54.15.
VI–1. Paulino 49.90 (fastest-ever first round of 3); 2. Victoria Ohuruogu (GB) 50.60; 3. Diggs 50.87; 4. Lada Vondrová (CzR) 50.92 PR; 5. Modesta Morauskaitė (Lit) 51.06; 6. Charokee Young (Jam) 51.24; 7. Tiffani Marinho (Bra) 53.12; 8. Marlie Viljoen (SA) 53.73.
SEMIS (August 21)
I–1. Paulino 49.54; 2. Adeleke 49.87; 3. Mbongo 49.96 NR; 4. McLeod 50.62; 5. Aguilar 51.07 PR; 6. Morán 51.46; 7. Vondrová 51.50; 8. Van Der Walt 51.54.
II–1. Klaver 49.87; 2. Diggs 50.86; 3. Gómez 51.07; 4. Pipi 51.17; 5. Pryce 51.24; 6. Scott 51.52; 7. Mawdsley 51.78; 8. Morauskaitė 52.15.
III–1. Kaczmarek 49.50; 2. Williams 49.58 NR; 3. Irby-Jackson 50.71; 4. Ohuruogu 50.74; 5. Miklos 50.77; 6. Young 51.40; 7. Gogl-Walli 51.50; 8. Petržilková 51.94.
