American 400-meter hurdles sensation Rai Benjamin wouldn’t be denied this time.
Three years after working a preposterous 46.17 seconds, solely to lose the gold to Karsten Warholm’s world file of 45.94 seconds within the Tokyo Olympics, Benjamin exacted revenge on his nice Norwegian rival to turn into the Olympic champion in Paris. The moist circumstances didn’t lend itself to the opportunity of a brand new world file, however Benjamin’s 46.46 seconds was nonetheless tied for the fifth-fastest in historical past, and he gained in a rout.
Warholm needed to accept the silver medal in 47.06 seconds, whereas Brazil’s Alison dos Santos repeated his bronze medal from Tokyo with a time of 47.26.
The rivalry between Warholm and Benjamin has persistently favored Warholm in main championship competitions. He beat Benjamin within the 2019 World Championships in Doha, the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Even when Warholm didn’t medal within the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Benjamin nonetheless misplaced out on gold to Alison dos Santos. After three silvers and a bronze and several other years of Nineties Buffalo Payments-esque ache for the native of Mount Vernon, New York, Benjamin has lastly damaged via for his first particular person gold medal.
There have been indicators that Warholm’s dominance was waning in latest instances. After profitable final yr’s world title, he dropped consecutive Diamond League races to the British Virgin Islands’ Kyron McMaster (who was fifth in Friday’s remaining) and Rai Benjamin to finish the yr. In 2024, Warholm was bested by dos Santos in his native Norway, whereas Benjamin defeated each males in Monaco simply earlier than the Olympics started.
This victory for Benjamin stands out as the sign that we’re witnessing a altering of the guard, seven years faraway from Warholm’s first international title. Benjamin entered Friday’s remaining with an undefeated file for 2024, in addition to the most effective time of the season, and he left the opposite two quickest males of all-time nicely behind.
Benjamin may have the chance so as to add to his gold medal assortment on Saturday, the ultimate day of monitor and discipline competitors of the Paris Olympics, when he competes within the 4×400 meters relay. He was the anchor leg for the gold medal win within the Tokyo Olympics, in addition to the 2019 and 2023 world titles, and he’ll be strongly favored to convey house the gold in what’s nicely on tempo to be the best monitor and discipline medal haul in Workforce USA historical past.
