Marileidy Paulino wins league race, but championship decided in one final run

Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino has achieved a perfect record in the 400-meter races she has competed in this season of the Wanda Diamond League, securing victories in Doha, Paris, Monaco, London, and most recently, Silesia, Poland. Her winning time in Silesia was 48.87 seconds, adding to her impressive performance, which includes a Diamond League record of 48.48 seconds set in Paris.

However, Paulino's undefeated streak this season does not automatically guarantee her the overall circuit championship. The Diamond League operates on a points system throughout the season, with the top athletes qualifying for a single-race final. In this final, all accumulated points are reset, and the champion is determined solely by who wins that one race.

Paulino's victory in Silesia, her fifth of the season, mathematically increased her points total to 40. This performance secured her a spot in the final, as Silesia was the last opportunity to earn points for the 400 meters, a discipline not included in the upcoming Zurich meeting. The final is scheduled for September 4-5 in Brussels.

This "winner takes all" format is a familiar challenge for Paulino. She won the Diamond Trophy for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024. Yet, in the 2025 season, she entered the final as a strong favorite but was ultimately defeated by Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who claimed the title and ended Paulino's three-year reign. The Diamond League is set to distribute $9.24 million in prize money across the season, with the final in Brussels offering $2.24 million.