Marileidy Paulino joins Faith Kipyegon, Gabby Thomas & Co at top-paying women’s-only event

Marileidy Paulino set a new Olympic Record in Paris |Photo Credit: X/@Marileidy_P

Marileidy Paulino joins Faith Kipyegon, Gabby Thomas & Co at top-paying women’s-only event

Joel Omotto 12:17 - 26.08.2024

Olympics 400m champion Marileidy Paulino is the latest to sign up for the lucrative women’s-only track event set to be graced by Gabby Thomas and Faith Kipyegon in New York next month.

Olympics 400m champion Marileidy Paulino has signed up for the lucrative Athlos NYC, a women’s-only track event, set to take place in New York on September 26.

Paulino, who has been untouchable this season, adds stardust to the cast, joining Olympics 200m champion Gabby Thomas the first athlete to sign up, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, world 400m champion Alexis Holmes as well as Jamaica’s 800m runner Natoya Goule-Toppin.

The event is a brainchild of tennis legend Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian who is taking a bet on women’s athletics, taking advantage of some of the sport’s biggest stars.

“I see myself in the future with my active professional career already underway and practicing it at a national and international level with many important medals obtained and women’s sport with more participation in all sports,” said Paulino.

Athlos NYC is set to be one of the highest paying athletics events as winners will pocket $60,000 (Ksh7.7 million) while second place will attract $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million), third place $10,000 (Ksh1.3 million), fourth place $8,000 (Ksh1 million), fifth place fetching $5,000 (Ksh645,598) as sixth attracts a prize of $2,500 (Ksh322,500).

Paulino continued from where she left off at the Paris Olympics when she stormed to victory at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday.

She clocked a meeting record 48.66 seconds for the win ahead of Eid Salwa Naser of Bahrain, who timed 49.23 for second place, while Natalia Naczmarek of Poland completed the podium in 49.95.

Paulino has been in great form winning the Xiamen, Oslo and Paris Diamond Leagues as well as victories in the Los Angles Grand Prix.

The Athlos NYC will feature the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 800m and 1500m with Ohanian looking forward to making the event even much bigger in future.

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