Marileidy Paulino and José González Impress at Pan American Games Semifinals
Marileidy Paulino and José González have solidified themselves as strong contenders for the podium in the 200-meter dash at the XIX Pan American Games. Both athletes emerged victorious in their respective semifinal races held on Wednesday in this city.
Paulino, nicknamed “La Gacela”, exhibited her status as an elite sprinter by finishing first in the second semifinal series of the women’s 200-meter dash, clocking in at an impressive 23.04 seconds. Behind Paulino, Gabriela Suárez from Ecuador finished with a time of 23.63 seconds, and Yunisleidy García from Cuba secured the third spot in the heat with a time of 23.96 seconds.
“I’m happy to have a good performance in these games. I’ve always been focused, and I hope to give my all in this competition,” revealed Paulino. The final of the women’s 200 meters, featuring Paulino, is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 8:02 pm.
González, who won gold in the 100-meter dash on Tuesday, also displayed his dominance in the men’s 200-meter dash semifinal by crossing the finish line first in a time of 20.81 seconds. Nadale Buntin from Saint Kitts and Nevis finished closely behind with a time of 20.97 seconds, followed by Emanuel Archibald from Guyana with a time of 21.08 seconds.
The Dominican sprinter, González, will compete in the final at 8:10 pm.
In other events, Franshina Martínez finished fourth in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.55, while Juander Santos came in sixth place in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, completing the race in 52.64 seconds. Yeral Núñez, competing in the hurdles event, also narrowly missed qualifying, finishing in fourth place with a time of 51.27 seconds.
In basketball news, the Dominican Republic’s team suffered a disappointing loss to Venezuela in overtime. The final score was 92-90 in favor of Venezuela. With this result, both teams now have a record of 1-1. The Dominican Republic will face Argentina in their next game, as Argentina has already secured a spot in the semifinals.
Moving on to handball, the Dominican team’s hopes for a medal were dashed after losing their third match to Mexico by a score of 26-19.
In men’s volleyball, the Puerto Rican team defeated the Dominican Republic 3 sets to 1, securing a place in the quarterfinals. The Dominican team, on the other hand, suffered their third consecutive loss and will participate in a ranking match on Friday.
In men’s soccer, the Dominican U23 team concluded their participation in the Pan American Games with a 3-1 loss to Honduras. The Dominican Republic finished in eighth place overall.
In wrestling, Elison Adames competed in the 125-kilo freestyle category but lost both of his matches. He was defeated by Mason Parris from the United States in the quarterfinals and by Aaron Johnson from Jamaica in the fight for gold. Luis Pérez also suffered a loss in the quarterfinals, falling to Maxwell Lacey Garita from Costa Rica in the 97-kilo category.
In other sports, Esneiry Pérez is currently in seventh place in the men’s Sun Fish Regional Boat sailing competition, and Andrés Julio Soto Peña is in 39th place in the equestrian jumping category. Santa Ortiz is ranked 24th in the women’s individual recurve bow archery competition.
Overall, the Dominican Republic’s athletes continue to compete with determination and showcase their talent at the XIX Pan American Games.