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Rai Benjamin earns his first gold medal with men's 400m hurdle win

JHby: Jonathan Howard08/09/24Jondean25
Rai Benjamin Paris
Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

The two fastest men ever in the 400m hurdles went toe to toe again and this time, the American, Rai Benjamin is on top! We did not see another world record like at Tokyo. However, Benjamin gets his Olympic gold medal after so long.

Rai Benjamin and Karsten Warholm of Norway are two of the best rivals in all of Track & Field. What they have done for the 400m hurdles should not be overlooked.

Using his strength, Benjamin outlasted Warholm down the stretch. Heartbreak for the Norweigian and world record holder, elation for America’s champion!

When Rai Benjamin fell short of gold at Tokyo, it felt like he had no answer for Warholm. This is the first world championship in the 400m hurdles ever for Benjamin.

At Doha, silver. Tokyo, silver. Eugene, silver. Last year at Budapest, a step back, he took bronze. Now, the American is on top of world in the 400m hurdles.

According to Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports, Benjamin has helped make history for America as well. Four individual sprint gold medals in five events for the United States. The last time Team USA took home that many individual gold medals in sprints, 1996.

In Tokyo, the men’s team failed to earn a single gold medal in the individual sprints. History made for Rai Benjamin and the United States.

Rai Benjamin joins Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

With the victory in Paris today, Rai Benjamin joins Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as gold medalists in the 400m hurdles. Of course, Levrone is the women’s world record holder and is putting up times once though improbable in the event.

Then, when you look at the men’s world record progression, something that has happened due to the rivalry between Benjamin and Warholm, it is clear that they have upped the competition level. Since 2021, Warholm, with Benjamin right behind, has dropped the world record from 46.78 seconds to 45.94.

Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Levrone has taken almost two seconds off of the world record formerly held by Dalilah Muhammad. 52.16 seconds in 2019 was Muhammad’s best. Sydney has dropped it to 50.37 seconds.

Rai Benjamin and Syndey McLaughlin-Levrone walk away with the Team USA gold medal sweep in the 400m hurdles. The Paris Olympics are almost over, and it has been so much fun on the track. Let’s see if Team USA closes it out strong this weekend.