Rai Benjamin

Rai Benjamin
Benjamin at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene
Personal information
Born (1997-07-27) July 27, 1997
Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1]
Weight170 lb (77 kg)[1]
Sport
Country United States[2][3]
SportTrack and field
Event(s)
Hurdling, sprinting
College teamUSC Trojans (2017, 2018)
UCLA Bruins (2016)
TeamNike[4]
Turned pro2018[4]
Coached byJoanna Hayes[3]
Quincy Watts[3]
Caryl Smith-Gilbert[3]
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals
  • 2020 Tokyo
  • 400 m hurdles,  Silver
  • 2024 Paris
  • 400 m hurdles,  Gold
World finals
  • 2025 Tokyo
  • 400 m hurdles,  Gold
  • 2019 Doha
  • 400 m hurdles,  Silver
  • 2022 Eugene
  • 400 m hurdles,  Silver
  • 2023 Budapest
  • 400 m hurdles,  Bronze
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
2020 Tokyo 4 × 400 m relay
2024 Paris 400 m hurdles
2024 Paris 4 × 400 m relay
2020 Tokyo 400 m hurdles
World Championships
2019 Doha 4 × 400 m relay
2023 Budapest 4 × 400 m relay
2025 Tokyo 400 m hurdles
2019 Doha 400 m hurdles
2022 Eugene 400 m hurdles
2025 Tokyo 4 x 400 m relay
2023 Budapest 400 m hurdles
Diamond League
2023 400 m hurdles
Representing  Antigua and Barbuda
CARIFTA Games (U-20)
2015 Basseterre 400 m

Rai Benjamin (born July 27, 1997)[7] is an American hurdler and sprinter specializing in the 400 m and 400 m hurdles. He is the second fastest man in history in the 400 m hurdles with a personal best time of 46.17 s. He won a silver medal at his first Olympic Games in 2021 and won the 400 m hurdles race at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Benjamin also won silver medals at the World Championships in 2019 and 2022 in the men's 400 m hurdles, and gold medals in the 4 × 400 m relay in 2019 and 2021.

In college, Benjamin ran for the UCLA Bruins and then the USC Trojans, where in early 2018 he was part of the team that set the world best time in the indoor 4 × 400 m relay with a time of 3:00.77. At the time, his relay split time of 44.35 s was the fastest ever recorded in an indoor race. In June of the same year he also helped set the NCAA record in the same event but outdoors, and ran what was at the time the second fastest 400 m hurdles race of all time in 47.02 s.

Early life and career

Benjamin, from Mount Vernon High School (New York), just after completing his second year participated at the 2013 World Youth Championships held in Donetsk, Ukraine. He wanted to run for the USA, since he was born in New York,[8] but in Donetsk he represented Antigua and Barbuda in the 400 m hurdles.[9]

He won the 2015 New York Indoor State meet with a national-leading time of 33.17 in the 300 meters. He was a three-time New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion in the 400 m hurdles. Benjamin won a silver medal in the 400 meters at the 2015 CARIFTA Games. He was the 2015 New Balance 400-meter hurdles national champion.[10] He ran the fastest 2015 prep time in the United States in the 400 m hurdles with a time of 49.97, fastest 400 m indoor time in the country with a 46.59 and the third fastest outdoor time 46.19.

Professional career

Benjamin turned professional in 2018.[11] In 2017, the IAAF suspended all transfers of allegiance, meaning Benjamin could not represent the United States until transfers were reinstated in summer 2018.[12] In October 2018, Benjamin's transfer request was approved, allowing him to represent the United States abroad and compete in USATF Championship events.[2] At the 2018 Meeting Areva in Paris, he ran 19.99 in the 200 meters to take .65 of a second off his previous personal best.[5][6][13] He became the 72nd person to break 20 seconds.[14]

2019-2021: World championship medalist, Olympic debut, number 2 all-time

At the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays, that year at El Camino College in Torrance, California, Benjamin joined his training partner and previous college teammate, Michael Norman running the 400 meters. Benjamin ran his personal best of 44.31, the 50th best time in history[15] behind Norman's 43.45, which turned out to be the fastest 400 run in the 2019 season and tied him as the 4th fastest of all time.[16]

At the Weltklasse Zürich in August 2019, Benjamin became just the fourth person in history to break 47 seconds for the 400 metres hurdles, with a time of 46.98 seconds, as he finished second in the race behind Karsten Warholm, who set a new European record.[17] Competing at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Benjamin won the silver medal in the 400 m hurdles, in 47.66 seconds, finishing behind Warholm, who was also defending champion.[18] At the championships, Benjamin later won a gold medal as part of the American men's 4 × 400 m relay, running the anchor leg alongside Fred Kerley, Michael Cherry and Wil London.[19]

In 2021, Benjamin ran a personal best 46.83 at the US Olympic Trials, and made his Olympic debut at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. He won the silver medal in the 400 m hurdles, running 46.17 seconds, not just a personal best time and American record, but the second quickest time ever, beaten into silver only by Karsten Warholm's world record. Some asked if it was "The Greatest Race Ever", with Alison dos Santos third in 46.72, a time they would have been the world record five weeks earlier. Benjamin’s time would have marked a 0.53 second improvement on the previous world record and would have been the largest improvement on the record in 53 years, but for Warholm's run. Such was the improvement in recorded times by the three medalists, only Kevin Young apart from Benjamin and Dos Santos had come within a second of Warholm's time.[20] At the Games, Benjamin later won a gold medal in the men's 4 × 400 m relay with Michael Norman, Michael Cherry and Bryce Deadmon.[11][21]

2022-2023: Further World Championships medals

Benjamin also won a silver medal at his home 2022 World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, running 46.89 seconds behind Alison Dos Santos with Warholm nursing an injury in seventh.[11] Speaking of his competitive rivalry with Warholm and Dos Santos, Benjamin said, "we’ve run so fast and we’re continuing to take the events to new heights…We have to keep it going, keep running fast, keep competing well, and keep giving people the hope for the excitement to come in the future".[22]

By the summer of 2023, Benjamin had tweaked his racing pattern between hurdles, aiming for a longer stride cadence for tempo, producing more speed leading into the back straight finishing kick.[11] In July, Benjamin won a fourth-straight national title in the 400m hurdles at the 2023 U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon., running a season's best 46.62, to take the win ahead of CJ Allen.[23]

In August, he won the bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, running 47.56 seconds behind world-record holder Karsten Warholm and a surprise silver medalist in Kyron McMaster.[24] At the championships, he won the gold medal as the anchor leg of the 4 × 400 m relay alongside Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood and Justin Robinson.[25][26]

Benjamin had his best performance of the season last. He won the 2023 Diamond League final at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic on 16 September in 46.39 seconds ahead of Warholm, McMaster and Dos Santos. It was the fourth fastest time in history and the fastest time of 2023 worldwide, as well as a Prefontaine and Diamond League record.[27]

2024: Unbeaten year, Olympic champion

Benjamin went through 2024 unbeaten in the 400 metres hurdles.[28] He ran a world-leading time of 46.46 seconds to win the US Olympic Trials, and ran 46.67 seconds to win against his rivals Karsten Warholm and Alison Dos Santos at the 2024 Diamond League meeting Herculis, in Monaco. He became the 2024 Olympic champion in Paris, France in August, running the 400 m hurdles in 46.46 to equal his own world-leading mark. It was his first individual gold medal having earned a podium spot at the previous four global championships, with Warholm behind him in silver, and Dos Santos in bronze.[29] He became a double Paris Olympic gold medalist in the final event of the Games as a member of the American 4 × 400 m relay team retaining the title in 2:54.43, a new Olympic record, racing alongside Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon.[30][31]

2025: World champion 400m hurdles

After opening 2025 on 2 February with a victory in an indoors 300m in Boston, Benjamin did not compete again until 12 June in Oslo at the 2025 Bislett Games in 300m hurdles, and then three days later, a 400m hurdles in Stockholm at the 2025 BAUHAUS-galan. Those marked his first time racing at those European events, and his latest outdoor debut since the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season.[32] He won the event in Stockholm ahead of Warholm and Dos Santos, and finished runner-up to Warholm in Oslo, running a personal best for the 300m hurdles of 33.22 seconds.[33][34] That month, he also recorded a win in the 2025 Diamond League at the Meeting de Paris.[35]

Competing at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September 2025, he won the global gold medal for the second consecutive year in the 400 m hurdles, running a season's best time of 46.52 seconds to win from Alison dos Santos and Abderrahman Samba of Qatar. However, Benjamin was initially disqualified because he clipped his final hurdle causing it to dislodge, and its adjusted position came into the adjoining lane of Ezekiel Nathaniel, who was following behind. However, as it did not appear to affect the Nigerian's run or the order of the finishers, Benjamin, who had already posed for pictures trackside with a golden crown, was reinstated.[36] On the final day of the championships he won a silver medal running in the final of the men's 4 × 400 m relay as the American team finished runner-up to Botswana.[37]

Personal life

Benjamin is the son of West Indies international and Antiguan cricketer Winston Benjamin.[8][38] His childhood was split between Antigua and New York, before he permanently settled in New York for high school.[39]

Benjamin co-hosts a podcast called "Beyond the Records" with Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway, which launched in December 2024.[40][11]

Benjamin is an avid cyclist, frequently cycling around Los Angeles and to and from hurdling practice at UCLA.[41]

Achievements

Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[7]

Personal bests

Surface Event Time Venue Date Notes
Outdoor 400 m hurdles 46.17 Tokyo, Japan August 3, 2021 North American record, 2nd all time
400 m 44.21 Los Angeles, United States April 8, 2023
200 m 19.99 Paris, France June 30, 2018 (−0.6 m/s wind)
100 m 10.03 Fort Worth, United States July 20, 2020 (+1.6 m/s wind)
4 × 400 m relay 2:55.70 Tokyo, Japan August 7, 2021 2021 world lead
Indoor 400 m 45.39 New York, United States February 13, 2021
300 m 32.21 Boston, Massachusetts February 2, 2025
200 m 20.34 College Station, United States March 10, 2018 NR[note 1]
4 × 400 m relay 3:00.77 College Station, United States March 10, 2018 World best[note 2]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
Representing  Antigua and Barbuda
2013 World Youth Championships Donetsk, Ukraine 15th 400 m hurdles 52.36
2015 CARIFTA Games (U20) Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2nd 400 m 46.19 PB
World Relays Nassau, Bahamas – (h) 4 × 200 m relay DNF
Representing the  United States
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 2nd 400 m hurdles 47.66
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:56.69 WL PB
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 2nd 400 m hurdles 46.17 PB AR, 2nd all time
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:55.70 SB
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 2nd 400 m hurdles 46.89
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 3rd 400 m hurdles 47.56
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:57.31 WL
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 1st 400 m hurdles 46.46
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:54.43 OR
2025 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 1st 400 m hurdles 46.52
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 2:57.83

Circuit wins

National championships

Representing the UCLA Bruins (2016–2017), the USC Trojans (2018), and Nike (2019–)
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
2016 NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 6th 400 m hurdles 49.82 PB
2017 NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 2nd 400 m hurdles 48.33 PB
22nd 4 × 100 m relay 39.89
2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships College Station, Texas 3rd 200 m 20.34 PB
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.77 WB[note 2]
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 1st 400 m hurdles 47.02 WL PB CR[8]
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:59.00 PB CR
2019 USATF Championships Des Moines, Iowa 1st 400 m hurdles 47.23
2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 1st 400 m hurdles 46.83 WL PB MR, 3rd all time
2022 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 1st 400 m hurdles 47.04
2023 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 1st 400 m hurdles 46.62
2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 1st 400 m hurdles 46.46 WL MR
2025 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 1st 400 m hurdles 46.89
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.[43][44]


Seasonal bests

Year 400 m hurdles 400 m 200 m
2013 53.95 49.55 22.38
2014 51.86 47.17 20.88
2015 49.97 46.19 21.09
2016 49.82 47.57 21.17
2017 48.33 45.72 20.64
2018 47.02 44.74 19.99
2019 46.98 44.31 —
2020 N/a
2021 46.17 44.97 20.16
2022 46.89 — 20.01
2023 46.39 44.21 —
2024 46.64 44.42 —
2025 46.54 — —

College career

Benjamin is a three-time NCAA Division I track champion. As a college student-athlete, Benjamin earned three Pac-12 conference titles, one Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title, and eight NCAA Division I All-America honors (five outdoor, three indoor).

Benjamin's All-America honors were for these accomplishments:

Year Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Indoor track and field		 NCAA
Indoor		 Pac-12 Conference
Outdoor		 NCAA Division I
Outdoor track and field
Representing the University of Southern California[45][46]
2018 200 m 3rd
20.34		 400 m hurdles 1st
48.46		 400 m hurdles 1st
47.02 CR
400 m 1st
45.94		 4 × 400 m relay 1st
3:00.77 CR		 4 × 100 m relay 1st
39.38		 4 × 400 m relay 1st
2:59.00
2017 4 × 400 m relay 5th
3:12.50		 4 × 400 m relay 4th
3:09.39		 4 × 100 m relay 22nd
39.89
400 6th
47.06		 400 m hurdles 1st
49.52		 400 m hurdles 2nd
48.33
200 m 3rd
21.09
Representing the University of California, Los Angeles[47][48]
2016 400 m 7th
47.57		 400 m hurdles
52.21		 400 m hurdles 6th
49.82
DMR 7th
9:34.39		 4 × 100 m relay 4th
40.22

Notes

  1. ^ a b For Antigua and Barbuda
  2. ^ a b Shared with Zach Shinnick, Ricky Morgan, and Michael Norman for the USC Trojans. Because Rai Benjamin was not cleared to represent the United States with his American teammates until after the race, the time was not recognized by the World Athletics as the official world record.[42]

References

  1. ^ a b "Rai Benjamin". eurosport.com. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Sully, Kevin (October 4, 2018). "Rai Benjamin Cleared To Compete for the US". milesplit.com. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Lindstrom, Sieg (January 19, 2019). "New Flag, New Beginning for Rai Benjamin". trackandfieldnews.com. Track & Field News. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Sully, Kevin (June 14, 2018). "Rai Benjamin is Now a Nike Athlete". flotrack.org. FloSports, Inc. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Rowbottom, Mike (July 1, 2018). "Norman and Benjamin the latest starts to shine in the IAAF Diamond League". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Zaccardi, Nick (June 30, 2018). "Abderrahman Samba runs second-fastest 400m hurdles ever (video)". nbcsports.com. NBC. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Rai BENJAMIN – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Burke, Timothy (June 8, 2018). "Rai Benjamin Runs 47.02 400m Hurdles, Tied For Second-Fastest in Human History". deadspin.com. Deadspin. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  9. ^ "400m hurdles (84.0 cm) Boys semi-final results".
  10. ^ track ucla mount vernon rai benjamin
  11. ^ a b c d e Watta, Evelyn (July 30, 2025). "Rai Benjamin on how he found strength in disappointment: "I failed a lot but built character" - Exclusive". World Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  12. ^ "Transfer of Allegiance".
  13. ^ "2018 Paris Diamond League 200 m". Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  14. ^ "200 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".
  15. ^ "400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".
  16. ^ "400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor".
  17. ^ "Warholm sizzles 46.92 in Zurich - IAAF Diamond League". World Athletics. August 29, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  18. ^ Hollobaugh, Jeff (October 2019). "World Champs Men's 400 Hurdles — Warholm Defends". Track and Field News. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  19. ^ "Report: men's 4x400m - IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019". World Athletics. October 6, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  20. ^ Gault, Jonathan (August 4, 2021). "The Greatest Race Ever? Karsten Warholm (45.94) Defeats Rai Benjamin (46.17) to Obliterate 400M Hurdles World Record & Win Olympic Gold". Lets Run. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  21. ^ "The XXXII Olympic Games". World Athletics. August 8, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  22. ^ "Stepping up: Rai Benjamin alters stride pattern in quest to chase down gold at worlds in 400 hurdles". apnews. August 20, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  23. ^ Bregman, Scott (July 10, 2023). "USA Track and Field Championships 2023: Rai Benjamin collects fourth-straight U.S. title in the 400m hurdles". Olympics.com. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  24. ^ Greif, Andrew (August 23, 2023). "Rai Benjamin takes bronze in men's 400-meter hurdles at world championships". LA Times. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  25. ^ "World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023". World Athletics. August 27, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  26. ^ "USA dominates men's 4x400m to win fourth relay gold in Budapest". World Athletics. August 27, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  27. ^ Battagla, Joe (September 16, 2023). "Rai Benjamin Stuns Karston Warholm To Win Men's 400m Hurdles At Prefontaine". Flotrack. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  28. ^ "After Epic 2024, Olympic Hero Rai Benjamin Looks Ahead to 2025". Lets Run. December 19, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  29. ^ "Fifth time's the charm as Benjamin takes Olympic 400m hurdles gold in Paris". World Athletics. August 9, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  30. ^ "Men's 4 x 400 Metres Relay - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. August 10, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  31. ^ Fast, Annie (August 10, 2024). "Paris 2024 athletics: All results, as Team USA defend gold in men's 4x400m relay with new Olympic record". Olympics.com. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  32. ^ "Quality over quantity for Olympic champion Benjamin". World Athletics. June 10, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  33. ^ "Results - Oslo Diamond League Bislett Games 2025". Watch Athletics. June 12, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  34. ^ "Results - Stockholm Diamond League Bauhaus Galan 2025". Watch Athletics. June 15, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  35. ^ "Results - Paris Diamond League 2025". Watch Athletics. June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  36. ^ "Benjamin bags world 400m hurdles title in Tokyo to go with Olympic crown". World Athletics. September 19, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  37. ^ "Botswana claims gold in men's 4x400m in Tokyo". World Athletics. September 21, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  38. ^ Levy, Leighton (October 4, 2018). "Antiguan star athlete Rai Benjamin switches allegiance to USA". sportsmax.tv. SportsMaxTV. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  39. ^ Yohe, Julia (June 18, 2024). "Rai Benjamin: Meet the athlete". NBC Olympics. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  40. ^ "Beyond The Records Podcast". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  41. ^ Merber, Kyle (December 20, 2023). "Rai Benjamin Q&A: On Finding A Passion For Cycling In The Off-Season, What Track Can Learn". Citius. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  42. ^ Joe Fleming (March 12, 2018). "World, collegiate records highlight NCAA indoor track and field championships". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  43. ^ "RAI BENJAMIN UCLA". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  44. ^ "RAI BENJAMIN USC". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  45. ^ "Rai Benjamin at USC". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  46. ^ Rai Benjamin USC profile University of Southern California. June 30, 2018
  47. ^ Rai Benjamin UCLA track results TFRRS. June 30, 2018
  48. ^ Rai Benjamin UCLA profile University of California Los Angeles. June 30, 2018
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