Rai Benjamin from Team USA earned his first individual gold medal by winning the men’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris Olympics on Friday. He matched his season-best time of 46.46 seconds, surpassing Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who took silver with a time of 47.06 seconds. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos secured the bronze medal, finishing in 47.26 seconds.
Three years ago, Benjamin claimed the silver medal in Tokyo. Following his victory, NBC Olympics commentator Leigh Diffey remarked, “It was tears in Tokyo, it is all smiles here in Paris. Rai Benjamin of Mount Vernon, New York, you are an Olympic champion.”
In the semifinals, Benjamin recorded a time of 47.85 seconds, tying for the second-best performance, while Warholm had the fastest time at 47.67 seconds. Benjamin shared the spot with France’s Clément Ducos.
Warholm, 28, holds the world and Olympic record of 45.94 seconds, achieved during the Tokyo Olympics, and was the first athlete to finish the event in under 46 seconds.
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Benjamin’s personal best is 46.17 seconds, which also stands as the American record for the event. He, Warholm, and dos Santos form a competitive trio known as the “Big Three” in the 400m hurdles.
As for Benjamin’s Olympic achievements, he now boasts three medals: a gold in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics, a silver in the men’s 400m hurdles, and a gold in the men’s 4x400m relay from the Tokyo Olympics.
Here is a summary of Rai Benjamin’s medals:
2024 Paris Olympics – Gold – men’s 400m hurdles
2020 Tokyo Olympics – Gold – men’s 4x400m relay
2020 Tokyo Olympics – Silver – men’s 400m hurdles
Benjamin, who turned 27 on July 27 during the Paris Olympics, was born in the Bronx and considers Mount Vernon, New York, his hometown, where he attended Mount Vernon High School. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Benjamin attended USC as a hurdler and sprinter after transferring from UCLA, where he competed for two seasons. He completed his studies at USC in 2019 and has since volunteered as an assistant coach for the track program at the university.