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SAINT-DENIS, France — Three years ago, American Rai Benjamin and Norwegian Karsten Warholm fought one of the most epic duels of the Tokyo Olympics.
Both broke the previous men’s 400m hurdles world record. And yet, only Warholm emerged with a gold medal hanging around his neck.
Benjamin returned to the Olympic stage on Friday night, determined to avenge that loss and win his first individual gold at a world championships. He also settled for silver or bronze behind Warholm or Brazil’s Alison dos Santos at the three most recent World Athletics Championships.
Benjamin, 27, faced the pressure of filling the biggest gap on his resume while he was in his athletic prime and he finally did it. He finally beat rivals Warholm and dos Santos when it mattered most, finishing in 46.46 to claim his first Olympic gold.
Benjamin, in lane 7, and Warholm, in lane 6, were tied through the 300 meters, but then Benjamin’s power took over. When Warholm cleared the penultimate hurdle, the race was over.
Warholm took silver with 47.06, while Dos Santos took bronze (47.26).
For Benjamin, the victory was both a joyous and cathartic experience. He is no longer the Charles Barkley or Dan Marino of the 400m hurdles. He now has a gold medal that confirms him as the standard-bearer of the event.
