Marileidy Paulino, widely regarded as the woman to beat in the 400m this season, arrived at the Monaco Diamond League meet on Friday evening after travel disruptions left her fatigued and unsettled.
Yet when the gun went off, Paulino delivered what she always does, calm, command, and a clinical performance over one lap of the track.
Her winning time of 49.06 seconds was not her fastest of 2025, but it was enough. Enough to narrowly edge rising American Aaliyah Butler by a mere three-hundredths of a second, and to fend off Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, who clocked a season-best 49.63.
The result extended Paulino’s winning streak to five consecutive Diamond League victories this year and marked her fourth career win in Monaco, a track she seems to own as much as she competes in.
Yet the night was about more than numbers. Speaking after the race, Paulino revealed the travel chaos that had disrupted her lead-in.
“I had some setbacks at the airport,” she admitted.
“But that is not an excuse. I will keep improving every day.”
There was no attempt to dissect her splits, no mention of fatigue, and no talk of rivals. When asked about her form compared to Paris, where she ran a season-best 48.89, Paulino remained focused.
“I have to thank God for everything,” she said.
“And focus on the World Cup, which is the most important thing.”
The Monaco victory served not as a peak, but as another checkpoint on her road to Tokyo, where she’ll aim for a third consecutive world title.
