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Rai Benjamin clinched silver at the Paris Olympic games after losing to Karsten Warholm, but incidentally smashed the previous world record in a race the Norwegian set a new world record.
American hurdler Rai Benjamin, who recently triumphed in the 400m hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has opened up about the emotional and physical challenges he faced during his historic Tokyo 2021 campaign.
Speaking on the Beyond the Records podcast alongside Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway, Benjamin offered an honest and introspective look at the race that etched his name—and that of Karsten Warholm—into the history books.
The Tokyo final redefined the boundaries of the 400m hurdles. Karsten Warholm obliterated his own world record by an astounding 0.76 seconds, clocking 45.94 seconds to become the first man to break the 46-second barrier.
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Benjamin, finishing second in 46.17 seconds, also smashed the previous record of 46.7 seconds, while Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed bronze with 46.72 seconds, just shy of the old record.
Reflecting on the race, Benjamin credited Warholm for his extraordinary performance. "Everyone thinks I had this mental block, but I never feared anyone in track and field at all. He just ran a phenomenal race," Benjamin said.
Benjamin recalled the moments leading up to and during the race. "Going into Tokyo, I felt great through the rounds. That morning, I tell people only God came down from the heavens to stop that man [Warholm] because he was on a mission."
While confident in his form, Benjamin admitted to a crucial misstep. "I made a mistake at hurdle three and thought, ‘Damn, this might cost me.’ But I believed in my kick and knew I could close the gap." However, the sheer intensity of the race caught him off guard. "You get next to someone, and he makes a move again—it’s just out of this world. When I crossed the finish line and saw the time, I thought, ‘There’s no way we ran that fast.’"
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Benjamin described the surreal moment when the realization sank in. "I couldn’t believe we ran 46.5 and lost. I looked up at my coaches, puzzled, thinking, ‘There’s nothing else we could have done.’ We were way under the previous world record."
As an American athlete, Benjamin felt the immense pressure to win. "Being an American, you’re expected to go to the Olympics and win because trials are tough, and you train so hard to be there," he explained.
The emotional toll of finishing second was compounded by his perception of his family’s reaction. "I’ve seen videos where family members stop cheering when someone loses. When I got second, my family kept cheering, but for some reason, my brain registered it as disappointment."
Despite the heartbreak of Tokyo, Benjamin has come to terms with the race. "One thing I give myself grace for is that I was still young—just 24 at the time—and figuring out the race." His journey from silver to gold in Paris underscores his resilience and growth as an athlete.
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