In the 400-meter hurdles final on Friday at the Olympics in Paris, American sprinter Rai Benjamin defeated Brazilian sprinter Alison dos Santos and world record-holder Karsten Warholm of Norway to earn the gold medal.
With a time of 46.46 seconds, Benjamin finished the race many steps ahead of the two fastest men in the world, Warholm (47.06) and Dos Santos (47.26). Benjamin cleared the eighth hurdle with an ungainly landing, but he still easily won.
Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, Warholm set a world record, and Benjamin came in second place. The 27-year-old Benjamin, who competed in the winning 4×400 relay squad in Tokyo, has now won two gold medals in the Olympics.
Rai After winning the men’s 400-meter hurdles final at the Stade de France during the Olympic Games in Paris, France, Benjamin Rai Benjamin of Team USA celebrates.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the world record in the 400-meter hurdles for women earlier in the day. In 50.37 seconds, McLaughlin-Levrone surpassed her own world record mark of 50.65 seconds, which she had previously established at the U.S. Olympic trials
in June.
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