Ultimate Championship, Day Two: Paulino Wins Gold and the Caribbean Takes Five Medals on the Sprint Night in Budapest

The races Day One promised arrived. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic ran from the back to win the 400 meters, Julien Alfred and Oblique Seville took silver in the 100, and the region left Budapest on September 12, 2026 with five medals.

On the second day of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, the Caribbean delivered on the promise Day One had made. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won the women's 400 meters, Julien Alfred and Oblique Seville each took silver in the 100 meters, and by the close of the night the region held five medals, one gold, two silver and two bronze, across the sprints and the one lap. The finishes and figures here are drawn from the Jamaica Observer and Yahoo Sports, which tracked the Saturday finals in Budapest.

Paulino, from the back of the field to the front

Paulino ran 49.07 seconds to win the 400 meters, moving up from last to first over the final 125 meters, by Yahoo Sports' account of the final. It was the Caribbean's only gold of the evening and the region's crowning result of the championship so far. Nickisha Pryce of Jamaica added bronze in the same race in 49.56 seconds.

Silver, twice, in the blue riband 100

In the women's 100 meters, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States ran a world leading 10.62 seconds to take the title, with Julien Alfred of St. Lucia second in 10.74 and Sha'Carri Richardson of the United States third in 10.76, the Jamaica Observer reported. Earlier in the day Alfred had posted 10.73 to lead the semifinals, per Yahoo Sports.

In the men's 100 meters, Kenny Bednarek of the United States won in 9.85 seconds into a headwind of 0.6 meters per second, with Oblique Seville of Jamaica second in 9.90 and Ronnie Baker of the United States third in 9.93, according to the Jamaica Observer. Seville had led the semifinals in 9.90 earlier in the day, and Jamaica's medal in the event came through him.

A Trinidad bronze in the one lap

Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago claimed bronze in the men's 400 meters in 44.23 seconds. The race went to Busang Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana in 43.39 seconds, a national record that Yahoo Sports ranked as the fifth fastest 400 meters ever run.

Beyond the Caribbean

The night's other leading results included Klaudia Kazimierska of Poland, who won the women's 1500 meters in 3 minutes 57.55 seconds, and Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan, who took the women's javelin, both by Yahoo Sports' report from Budapest.

Day One had said the races that carry the Caribbean, Alfred's 100 and Paulino's 400, still lay ahead. On September 12, 2026 they arrived, and the Caribbean answered. The championship closes on September 13, 2026.