40 Facts About Marileidy Paulino

Marileidy Paulino was born on 25 October 1996 and is a Dominican athlete sprinter specializing in the 400 meters.

Marileidy Paulino won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first woman from the Dominican Republic to earn an individual Olympic medal in athletics.

Marileidy Paulino was born in Don Gregorio village, in the Nizao municipality of the Peravia province, on 25 October 1996.

Marileidy Paulino was raised by her mother, Anatalia Paulino, and is the fifth of six brothers and sisters.

Marileidy Paulino was discovered while studying at the Alirio Marileidy Paulino High School in her hometown of Nizao and began getting involved in sports.

Marileidy Paulino played volleyball and almost made the handball national team.

In 2023, Marileidy Paulino was promoted to Second lieutenant and decorated with the Panamerican Flight Medal in the Dominican Air Force, where she has won several medals in the Dominican Republic Military Games.

Marileidy Paulino competed in the III Dominican Republic Youth Games winning the 100 m silver medal with a 12.70 time representing her province, Peravia.

Marileidy Paulino led her province in the Restoration Cup handball tournament with six goals.

Marileidy Paulino then traveled to Havana, Cuba for the Memorial Barrientos, arriving in fifth place in the 100 m with 11.61 and winning the silver medal in 200 m with 24.10.

Marileidy Paulino surprisingly won the Athletics National Championships in 100 m with 11.96 and was defined as the recipient of the country's main hope in female athletics.

In Cali, Colombia, Marileidy Paulino participated in the Valle Oro Puro Grand Prix, having finished in the sixth place of the 200 m with 24.15.

Marileidy Paulino ranked fifth in 100 m with a time of 12.02 in the heats and was fifth in the final with an 11.98 time.

Marileidy Paulino ran 24.43 in the 200 m preliminary round heats and 24.00 in the final, ending in sixth place.

Marileidy Paulino settled with the silver medal when the three times Olympic athlete, Mariely Sanchez defeat her in the National Championships' 100 m finals.

Marileidy Paulino participated in the Ximena Restrepo International Grand Prix, she won the gold in 100 m with an 11.62 mark and the bronze in 200 m with 23.63.

Marileidy Paulino traveled to Barranquilla, Colombia to the Central American and Caribbean Games where she participated in the 100 meter competition, registering 11.27 during the heats, 11.39 during the semifinals and finally 11.33, ending up in fourth place.

Marileidy Paulino received an apartment from the government along with volleyball player and Central American and Caribbean Games medalist Candida Arias in her home town of Nizao.

Marileidy Paulino participated in the 2018 National Games in the 100 m as one of the main attractions, and as expected, she won the gold medal with an 11.92 mark representing the Southern Region.

Marileidy Paulino then headed to the Caterine Ibarguen Grand Prix held in Barranquilla, Colombia she won the golden medal in 100 m with an 11.44, as part of the Dominican Republic team tour before the Pan American Games.

Marileidy Paulino took her third consecutive gold in 100 m at the Dominican Republic National Championships when she took the win with an 11.55 mark and timed 23.41 to win the 200 m gold medal in a tournament that served as a qualifier for the Pan American Games and the World Championship.

Marileidy Paulino traveled to the World Championships instead of pursuing a medal, hoping to make the qualifying marks for the 2020 Olympics.

Marileidy Paulino represented her country taking part of the 200 metres competition and had a faster looser qualifier with a 23.04 mark in the first round, and a season best of 23.03 in the semifinals, not qualifying for the finals.

Marileidy Paulino was part of Dominican representative at the Military World Games with the best performance ever when they collected two silver and two bronze medals.

Marileidy Paulino participated in the 200 m, qualifying with a 23.58 in the heats, 23.46 in the semifinals and registering 23.18 in the final, winning the silver medal.

Marileidy Paulino was awarded her National Federation Athlete of the Year.

Marileidy Paulino competed in her home country at the Isaac Ogando Festival, running a 400 m 50.31 and tournament's gold medal.

Marileidy Paulino continued the warm-up season at the Meeting International de Montreuil, World Athletics bronze level series in Montreuil, France, setting a new meeting record with 50.66 in 400 m just before competing in the Meeting Iberoamericano de Atletismo Huelva, Spain, a European Athletics Outdoor Permit Meetings where she set a tournament record and another national record in the 400 m with 49.99.

Marileidy Paulino then headed for the 400 metres where she timed 50.06 during the heats, the quickest time in a global tournament for a preliminary round ever.

Marileidy Paulino ran a national record 49.20 to win the silver medal.

Marileidy Paulino became the first Dominican athlete to ever win more than one medal in a single edition of the Olympic Games.

Marileidy Paulino made herself recipient of bonuses from the government, a local supermarket chain, and a house from the CEO of a radio station.

Marileidy Paulino participated in the 2021 Diamond League, winning at 2021 Athletissima in Lausanne, Switzerland with a 50.40 mark and winning Meeting de Paris with 50.12, qualifying for the Diamond League Finals, the Weltklasse Zurich where she was the favorite.

Marileidy Paulino ran 49.96 to settle with the silver medal and a US$12,000 cash price, after finishing behind American Quanera Hayes.

On 14 September 2021, Marileidy Paulino surpassed Shaunae Miller-Uibo as world number one in the World Athletics 400m world rankings.

About overtaking and winning to American Allyson Felix in their last race, Marileidy Paulino said that [Felix] will always be the best in the world, and that she has paved the way for them.

Marileidy Paulino became just the 12th woman in history to break the 49-second barrier.

Marileidy Paulino was chosen brand ambassador by Panam Sports as one of eleven athletes who stand in and out the court, representing the Olympic values.

When her fellow Central American and Caribbean Games champion, high jumper Marysabel Senyu, was subject to public scrutiny, Marileidy Paulino twitted asking to end discrimination of athletes for their skin color.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Marileidy Paulino won the women's 400 m final gold medal.