Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won World Championship gold in the women’s 400m August of 2023, finally claiming top spot on the podium after silvers at 2023’s Tokyo Olympics and doing it in record style. She made history, becoming the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport. Paulino dominated the second curve and pulled away over the last straightaway, becoming the fifth-fastest woman at 400 meters in 48.17 seconds, which set a new Olympic record, breaking the previous record of 48.25 last held by France's Marie-Jose Perec.