Why Marileidy Paulino shading Sydney McLaughlin-Leverone is good for track and field?

Although Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently stunned the fans with her impressive performance in the 400m, Marileidy Paulino is rising to challenge her as a fierce rival. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships, McLaughlin-Levrone clinched the 400m title by clocking 47.78 seconds to create a new championship record.

Although they both have competed in the 400m at multiple instances in the 2025 season, they went head-to-head for the first time in Tokyo. While McLaughlin-Levrone has started to make her mark in the 400m, Paulino is a two-time Olympic medalist in the event. After bagging a silver medal at the Tokyo Games, she improved her performance to dominate in Paris.

Let's explore why Marileidy Paulino appears to be a threat to the American favorite.

Marileidy Paulino clocked the third-best time in the 400m while competing against Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Although Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone clocked the second fastest time of all time, shying away by only 0.18 seconds from the world record, Marileidy Paulino followed the American to settle in the third place on the world's fastest time list. The Dominican Republic athlete was only 0.20 seconds behind McLaughlin-Levrone after posting 47.98 seconds.

With this stellar performance, she joined the four-member list of athletes who have posted sub-48 in the event. With her impressive performances, Paulino is closing in on the American sprinter while raising the possibility of a new rivalry.

A comparison between Marileidy Paulino and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's 400m performances at the Diamond League meetings and Grand Slam Track League

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competed in the 400m event at the Grand Slam Track League meeting. In Kingston, she dominated the final B with 50.32 seconds. At the same event, Paulino clocked 49.35 seconds, but had to settle in third place after being surpassed by Salwa Eid Nasser and Gabby Thomas.

In Miami, both bettered their time with Paulino clocking 49.21s and the American posting 49.69 seconds, coming closer to the Dominican Republic athlete's time. Paulino further improved her time at the Philadelphia meet with 49.12 seconds, where McLaughlin-Levrone did not compete.

McLaughlin-Levrone competed in the Eugene Diamond League and topped the event with 49.43 seconds in the absence of her new emerging rival. Paulino also showed exceptional dominance in the event at the Diamond League meetings this season. She went on to lead the event in Paris, Monaco, and Silesia with 48.81, 49.06, and 49.18 seconds, respectively, all the times being faster than the American sprinter at the Diamond League. And although she had to settle for second place at the Diamond League final, her timing was better than McLaughlin-Levrone.

It was only at the World Athletics Championships that McLaughlin-Levrone surpassed Paulino. The tough competition between the two athletes is fueling rivalry, making the event more enticing.