Naser Edged Out by Paulino in Chorzow

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s sprint star Salwa Eid Naser came within a fraction of victory yesterday, finishing second in the women’s 400 metres at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow, Poland.

Naser, the 2019 world champion and Paris 2024 Olympic silver-medallist, led for most of the race but was caught in the closing metres by reigning world and Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic. Paulino won in 49.18 seconds, just 0.09s ahead of Naser’s 49.27.

Norway’s Henriette Jaeger came in third in 49.83, with Britain’s Amber Anning fourth (50.11) and home favourite Natalia Bukowiecka of Poland fifth (50.16).

The meet formed part of the Wanda Diamond League, track and field’s top one-day circuit. It was Naser’s third Diamond League outing this season, having won in Doha and placed second in Paris and both times competing with Paulino.

Naser’s Chorzow performance was close to her season’s best of 48.67s, set in April in Kingston, Jamaica. Her personal best of 48.14s, an Asian and Bahraini record, remains one of the fastest times in history.

The 27-year-old continues her build-up to next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with Diamond League races in Lausanne on Wednesday and in the Zurich final on August 27-28. The championships, running from September 13 to 21 at Japan’s National Stadium, will feature more than 2,000 athletes from around 200 nations across 49 events, with Naser again expected to be one of Bahrain’s top medal hopes.