‘Catch me if you can!’: Eid Naser throws down the gauntlet to World and Olympic champion, Paulino with another sub-49 seconds show in Kingston
Former World 400m champion, Salwa Eid Naser finally got her first win over reigning World and Olympic champion in the event, Paulino Mareilidy on her ninth attempt and it was a statement win at the Grand Slam Track in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Nigeria-born Bahraini scorched to an incredible 48.67 finish to win the full lap race ahead of reigning Olympic 200m champion, Gaby Thomas who ran a new 49.14 lifetime best and Paulino who came in third in 49.35.
Although the Bahraini, named Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu by her Nigerian parents before she switched allegiance to Bahrain, did not win the $100,000 top prize money on offer and had to settle for $50,000 for her second place finish in the long sprint event following her fourth place finish in the 200m (22.99), it was her decisive win in the full lap race that has got the world talking ahead September’s World Athletica Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Prior to the race in Kingston, Paulino had won all eight head-to-head clashes against Eid Naser, with six coming in 2024, and it was looking like the Dominican Republic star will rule over the event this season again.
Eid Naser’s statement win will certainly affect permutations for the event in Tokyo as the 26 year old will be a firm favourite to reclaim the title she lost in 2022 without a fight.
She ran an incredible 48.14 to win the 400m title at the World Championships in Doha in 2019. It was the third fastest time in the history of the sport and Eid Naser is certainly looking like she could become the third woman after Marita Koch (47.60) Jarmila Kratochvilova (47.99) to break 48 seconds in the event.
