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American double Olympic champion has revealed why he values the long-standing athletic rivalry with Jamaica.
Double Olympic champion Rai Benjamin has opened up about his profound respect for Jamaican athletes and the historic rivalry that has spurred both nations to greatness in athletics.
The competition, which often peaks at events like the World Athletics Championships and the Olympics, has fostered a sense of camaraderie and respect among the athletes involved.
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Jamaica and the USA have been fierce competitors on the track each nation boasting some of the fastest athletes in the world.
"I understand it, you know,” the American hurdler said with a chuckle during an interview on Antigua Observer’s Good Morning Jojo as quoted by Jamaican Observer.
“When you guys have dominated the space for so many years — and when I say dominate I mean Usain, Asafa [Powell]... I saw Asafa the other night. We went out, me and Noah. I gave Asafa his flowers, and I said ‘Asafa, listen — you’re in my top five of all time.’ He and his wife were there. We had a good time."
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Despite the fierce competition, he spoke of the camaraderie and mutual respect that exists between athletes from both countries.
The rivalry was particularly intense this year due to the emergence of new talent and the ongoing banter between fans and athletes on social media.
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Benjamin himself became part of the conversation after his teammate Noah Lyles narrowly defeated Jamaica's rising star Kishane Thompson in the 100m final, a victory he celebrated publicly, leading to mixed reactions online.
“For a minute, when he [Thompson] ran that 9.77 at trials, I was like, ‘Damn, this kid is different.’ And he ran 9.77 and shut it down. To hear the banter online, for me it was more so like, ‘That’s [Lyles] my teammate.’ I’m not really feeding into who ran fast when and where — you gotta do it on that day," he added.
The support for his teammates is a significant aspect of Benjamin's approach to the sport.
"So, for me, it was more of just me supporting my teammate — not necessarily diminishing the accomplishments of anyone else. We’re at the Olympics, I have the flag on, and anyone else that’s wearing the flag, I’m going to support. That’s really what it boils down to. I knew in a situation like that, Noah thrives; he thrives in big situations. Towards the end I was like, ‘Alright, we might win this thing," he revealed.
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Reflecting on the social media fallout following his tweet after Lyles' victory, Benjamin can now laugh about the incident.
“When he won I put a tweet out and man, I got torn up! Honestly,” he shared.
Benjamin claimed gold in the Men's 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay remaining a pivotal figure in the ongoing narrative of the US-Jamaica track rivalry.
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