Eid Naser gets final chance in 2024 to finally get one over Paulino in New York in eight head-to-head clashes
Nigeria born Bahraini, Salwa Eid Naser will get the final chance to record her first victory in head-to-head clashes with reigning World and Olympic 400m Champion, Marileidy Paulino when they both clash at the Athlos event, a high-profile track and field meet focused on women’s athletics, this Thursday in New York, USA.
Eid-Naser has lost in all seven head-to-head clashes with the Dominican Republic star with five of them in 2024.
The rivalry began at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix in May 2023 with Paulino winning in 48.98 while Eid Naser was second in 50.27.
The duo clashed again at the Meeting de Paris Diamond League meeting barely two weeks later with Paulino also winning, condemning the Bahraini to third spot.
In 2024, the duo first clashed at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, then at the Meeting de Paris before meeting in the final of the Olympics in Paris.
Post Paris Olympics, Paulino won all two meetings starting with the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Poland and the Diamond League final in Brussels.
Eid Naser who ran 48.14, the third fastest in the all-time list to win her first World title in 2019 was suspended for whereabouts failure in 2020/21 and returned to the track last year.
The 27 year old will feel she is gradually returning to her 2019 form after running 49.78 in her comeback year (2023) before improving to 48.53 to win silver at the Paris Olympics.
