46.67 seconds – That’s all it took for Rai Benjamin to redeem himself after clinching a silver back in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The hurdler in Tokyo trailed behind Norway’s Karsten Warholm who blazed to the finish line, clinching a gold with the world record time of 45.94 seconds. Benjamin trailed behind him with 46.17 seconds. However, crowds at the Louis II Stadium witnessed a completely different outcome. Rai Benjamin has clinched a gold in the 400m hurdles at the 2024 Monaco Diamond League.

The Championships featured the top 3 athletes in distance, Olympic gold medalist Karston Warholm, Rai Benjamin, and 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos. Amidst the roaring crowds, these three were about to lock horns to test their form before they set foot on the world’s biggest stage at the upcoming Summer Games. And boy, did they set the tracks ablaze!

Rai Benjamin has turned things around for himself in Monaco

Rai Benjamin stepped onto the tracks with only one goal in his mind, redeeming himself after the heartbreak he faced in Tokyo. As they prepared themselves for a mini-Olympics showdown in Monaco, Rai Benjamin blazed past his competitors, crossing the finish line first. His Tokyo nemesis, Karsten Warholm, trailed behind him clocking in 46.73 seconds, and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed the third spot with 47.18 seconds.

Track Gazette celebrated Benjamin’s win on twitter, captioning it “46.67s!!🔥🔥Rai Benjamin 🇺🇸 clocks a time of 46.67s to win the men’s 400mH at the Monaco Diamond League, defeating Karsten Warholm 🇳🇴 who was 2nd in 46.73s. Alison dos Santos 🇧🇷 was 3rd in 47.18s.” This isn’t the only stellar performance fans have witnessed from the 3-time world champion. He blew everyone away with his stellar performance at Hayward Field last month by clocking in 46.46 seconds on the clock.

Not only had the Olympic silver medalist punched his ticket to the French capital, but he also set a world-leading time this season. This was World record holder Karsten Warholm’s second diamond league leg, and he was looking forward to besting Benjamin yet again. However, this time around, fate had other plans.

At the 2023 Diamond League Games, Rai Benjamin had shocked the stands by clocking in 46.39 seconds in 400m hurdles. Not only did the hurdler clock the fourth-fastest time ever, he went on to clinch the title and beat, you guessed it, Karsten Warholm yet again. However, no amount of wins will make up for the one thing Benjamin has been vying for the most – an Olympic gold medal. So, what happened at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

An epic showdown that ended in heartbreak

Rai Benjamin had made it to the men’s 400m hurdles finals on the world’s biggest stage. All that was standing between him and the coveted gold was this, and he was ready to run the most important race of his life. Unfortunately for Benjamin, Karsten Warholm was faster, and clocked in 45.94 seconds. But wait, there’s more. His time at the finals broke his own previous record of 46.70.

Benjamin trailed after him, clocking in 46.17 seconds. “If you would have told me I was going to run 46.1 and lose, I would probably beat you up and tell you to get out of my room” Despite clinching a silver, the Olympian broke down in tears in his post-race interview. The athlete was in disbelief still. However, his time was faster than a 30-year-old Olympic record of 46.78 set at the 1992 Olympic Games. Oddly enough, Alison Dos Santos trailed behind him, clocking in 46.72 seconds.

Back then Benjamin expressed, “I would die for that gold medal.” With a stellar win at the 2024 Wanda Diamond League, the Olympian will be stepping into Paris with even more vigor. Despite running the “best Olympic race” in Tokyo, will he be able to recreate the same results in Paris? We will just have to wait and watch, so stay tuned!