Three-time Olympic gold medalist and former USC Trojans track and field star Rai Benjamin has made his return to the track in Oslo, Norway, on the Diamond League circuit, where he competed in the 300-meter hurdles.
Rai Benjamin (USA) celebrates winning the men’s 4x400m final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France.
Rai Benjamin (USA) celebrates winning the men’s 4x400m final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and former USC Trojans track and field star Rai Benjamin has made his return to the track in Oslo, Norway, on the Diamond League circuit, where he competed in the 300-meter hurdles against the former 400-meter Olympic champion Karsten Warholm and former 400-meter world champion and Olympic medalist Alison dos Santos. The race marked Benjamin’s first hurdle race since winning Gold in Paris nearly a year ago.
The three aforementioned athletes, dubbed the “Big Three,” have all made the podium in the 400-meter hurdles and are the three fastest men to ever run in the event. Any time those three take the track together, a world record is usually broken, and Thursday was no exception. While the former Trojan led for most of the race and stormed to a personal best of 33.22, it was Warholm who stole the show at the end to run a world record of 32.67. Dos Santos finished third with a final time of 33.38.
Rai Benjamin (USA) celebrates winning the men’s 400m hurdles final during the Paris 2024 O
Rai Benjamin (USA) celebrates winning the men’s 400m hurdles final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France.
The dynamic trio will race again in their main event, the 400-meter hurdles, this week in the Stockholm Diamond League event. This will be Benjamin’s first 400-meter hurdle since the Olympic title was won, and he’ll look to enact revenge on his rival Warholm. While these races are entertaining and important, Benjamin is focused on the long game and making sure his body is prepped for the future.
“From a health perspective, just running a lot of meets can sometimes wear you out,” said Benjamin, of the strategy of minimising the number of events he chooses to run in order to potentially extend his career. “And it doesn’t take very long for me to be ready for a championship, whether it’s USAs or Worlds. And once I’m healthy, that’s the focus, so we pick and choose. I want to be able to run something fast every time I get on the track.”
“He’s a very smart guy, so he knows his body and we try to make good choices to keep him healthy,” says coach Joanna Hayes, a former Olympic gold medallist in the 100-meter hurdles herself. “He’s had a lot of injuries in the past so the races that he runs all have to make sense.”
Benjamin, Noah Lyles, and Grant Holloway, all three Olympic gold medalists, have been podcasting together and creating content since their Olympic triumphs. While the podcast is noteworthy, we haven’t seen much of them on the track just yet, but with Benjamin making two appearances this week and national trials around the corner, we’ll continue to see the record-breakers and champions in action.
Gold medalist Rai Benjamin (USA), silver medalist Karsten Warholm (NOR), and bronze medal
Gold medalist Rai Benjamin (USA), silver medalist Karsten Warholm (NOR), and bronze medalist Alison Dos Santos (BRA) during the medal ceremony for the men’s 400m hurdles during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France.
“We’re trying to get out there and brand ourselves, especially leading into 2028 (Los Angeles Olympics) where we have home-field advantage. It’s good to get the audience involved and look at us and look at our personalities. It’s been awesome so far,” Benjamin added.
As Benjamin and fellow USA track and field athletes continue preparing for the World Championships and already look ahead to the 2028 Olympics, being visible on and off the track is a major point of emphasis. America loves drama, personality, and excitement, but above all, the country loves winners. Benjamin and company will continue to be household names and grow even more if they continue to prove their worth on the track.
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