Cuban Roxana Gomez, Olympic finalist in Tokyo-2020, advanced on Monday directly to the semifinals of the 400m in Paris-2024, by finishing second in her qualifying heat with her best time of the season (50.38 sec).
Gomez was only beaten in her heat by the world runner-up, Poland’s Natalia Kaczmareck, one of the five semifinalists who went under 50 flat (49.98).
In Roxana’s heat, two-time Olympic champion Miller-Uibo (Bahamas), who after an injury was unable to reach the Olympic Games in top form, dropped out.
Dominican Marileidy Paulino, world champion in 2023 and Olympic runner-up in Tokyo 2020, led her heat with the best time of all the competitors (49.42) and confirmed her status as favorite for the title.
For Latin America and the Caribbean, Jamaican Stacey Ann Williams, Nickisha Pryce and Junelle Bromfield, Mexican Paola Moran and Barbadian Sada Williams also made it to the semifinals.
The other Cuban who competed this Monday in athletics, the discus thrower Mario Díaz, could not advance to the final by throwing 60.92m and finished in 14th place in his heat (25th overall).
