New York native Rai Benjamin breaks through for first Olympic gold in 400m hurdles

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Rai Benjamin finally got over the hurdle.

The Mount Vernon native had long been the runner-up to the likes of Norway’s Karsten Warholm and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, but on Friday, he finally beat them both, winning Olympic gold in the 400 meter hurdles.

Warholm, the winner at the Tokyo Games, kept pace with Benjamin through the final turn, but faltered down the stretch, allowing the 27-year-old American to pull away for a long-awaited gold.

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When the dust settled, it was Benjamin at 46.46 seconds, Warholm at 47.06 and dos Santos in third at 47.26.

“I can’t believe I actually finally did it,” Benjamin, who won silver in the 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo, told reporters. “It just happened at the right moment. My family is here, my friends are here. To do it in front of them means so much to me. I’m just so excited.”

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The American had continued to raise his game throughout his time in Paris, winning his first heat in 48.82, then finishing first in his semifinal at 47.85.

His 46.46 marked his best time of the season.

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He found another gear for his gold medal run, ripping off his race bib and letting out a guttural “Let’s go!” on the track as he took in his moment.

The win marked the 11th track and field gold for the U.S. in Paris — and comes a day after New Jersey native Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the women’s 400-meter hurdles, giving the U.S. its first sweep of the event since 2016.

Benjamin, who has been extremely vocal in supporting his fellow Team USA members — he lost his voice cheering for Cole Hocker during his surprise 1500-meter gold — finally gave them the chance to return the favor.

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