American Rai Benjamin finally gets gold in the 400-meter hurdles. He beat the world-record holder

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Karsten Warholm has the world record. Alison dos Santos had the purple hair to match the purple track.

Rai Benjamin?

The American who had consistently finished behind his Norwegian and Brazilian rivals in the 400-meter hurdles showed he’s got staying power.

And gold now, too.

After three silver medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympics and world championships, Benjamin convincingly beat Warholm and Dos Santos at the Paris Games on Friday.

“I got it done,” the 27-year-old Benjamin said. ”It has eluded me so long. ... I don’t think I ever doubted it. It was more just staying patient and keep showing up every day and something has to shake. I told myself, ‘This has got to go my way at some point.’ And it went my way today.”

Benjamin clocked 46.46 seconds, finishing several strides ahead of Warholm (47.06) and Dos Santos (47.26).

Benjamin flashed a wide grin when he crossed the line and let out a scream while Warholm slammed his hand on track.

“To do it in front of my mom and my dad and my aunts and uncles and my friends from back in L.A.,” Benjamin said. “That one was for them.”

Benjamin trailed Warholm for most of the race, and landed awkwardly coming over the eighth hurdle. But he was able to straighten out his stride and then burst past the Norwegian over the final 100 meters.

“I just remember freaking landing awkward off seven and then eight came up and I had to reach because I landed so awkward and I was like, ‘Please don’t fall.’ And then I had to reach for 10 and switch legs and at that point I was like, ‘Please don’t get walked,’” Benjamin said. “It wasn’t particularly the quickest but we got it done.”

Benjamin won silver behind Warholm when the Norwegian set the world record at the Tokyo Games three years ago. He also took two silvers and a bronze at the last three world championships. That includes a runner-up finish to Brazil’s Dos Santos on home soil at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022.

Benjamin said he was hurt when he lost a great race in Tokyo, and also injured in 2022 and 2023.

Not this time.

It was Team USA’s 11th gold medal in track and field of these Summer Games.

Meanwhile, Clement Ducos crossed fourth in 47.76 as host France remained without a medal in athletics at its home games.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games