Rai Benjamin of Team USA secured his first individual gold medal by triumphing in the men’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
Benjamin matched his season-best time of 46.46 seconds, surpassing Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who claimed the silver with a time of 47.06 seconds. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos came in third, finishing with a time of 47.26 seconds.
Three years prior, Benjamin earned a silver medal in Tokyo. “It was tears in Tokyo, it is all smiles here in Paris. Rai Benjamin of Mount Vernon, New York, you are an Olympic champion,” commented NBC Olympics’ Leigh Diffey.
In the semifinals, Benjamin recorded a time of 47.85 seconds, tying for the second-fastest time. Warholm held the fastest time in the semifinals at 47.67 seconds.
Warholm, aged 28, holds the world and Olympic record for the event at 45.94 seconds, achieved during the Tokyo Olympics, and is the first athlete to finish the event in under 46 seconds.
Benjamin boasts a personal best of 46.17 seconds, which set a new American record for the event. He, Warholm, and dos Santos are recognized as the “Big Three” in the 400m hurdles, fostering a notable rivalry among them.
Rai Benjamin now has a total of three Olympic medals: one gold in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics and two medals from the Tokyo Olympics—one gold in the men’s 4x400m relay and one silver in the men’s 400m hurdles.
Benjamin, who celebrated his 27th birthday on July 27 during the Paris Olympics, was born in the Bronx and identifies Mount Vernon, New York, as his hometown. He attended Mount Vernon High School and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
He also had a noteworthy college career, joining the University of Southern California (USC) as a sprinter and hurdler after transferring from UCLA, where he spent two seasons. Benjamin graduated from USC in 2019 and has since volunteered as an assistant coach with the track program at USC.